India has named the prospective GCAP fighter as a potential replacement for the Su-30MKI in the role of the main heavy strike aircraft, with the new machine potentially capable of almost doubling the range of the Russian fighter. A high-ranking Indian Air Force official told IDRW about this, linking the prospect of transitioning to GCAP to approximately 2040.
According to the publication's source, GCAP will be able to travel about 5500–6000 km or more without refueling, while the Su-30MKI has a figure of about 3000 km. For India, this is particularly interesting from the perspective of long-range operations and simultaneously addressing multiple directions.
No less significant a difference should be the combat load. According to available estimates, GCAP's internal bays will be able to accommodate at least twice as much weaponry as the F-35A. If the stealth configuration is abandoned, the prospective fighter could potentially carry more weaponry than the Su-30MKI, including large munitions that may not fit into internal bays.
However, there is no talk of an immediate replacement for India's Su-30MKIs yet. The Indian Air Force expects to operate these aircraft until the 2060s and possibly until 2070. Therefore, if India ultimately chooses this program, GCAP will gradually take over the Su-30MKI's longest-range strike and air superiority missions, rather than displacing the entire fleet at once.
Earlier, "Pervyy Tekhnicheskiy" reported that Japanese F-2As arrived in India for the first time to participate in the Veer Guardian-2026 air exercises, where they will compete with Indian Su-30MKIs.