India Proposes Use of 2 Su-30MKI Aircraft as Test Platform for Indigenous Aerospace Evaluation

India : In a bid to speed up the validation and certification of indigenous aerospace technologies, a proposal has been drawn up to employ two Su-30MKI aircraft with additional instrumentation for flight evaluation. The initiative focuses on reducing delays in testing and certification while ensuring the reliability of homegrown components compared to their foreign-supplied counterparts.

According to the proposal, the evaluation will begin with the mapping of critical parameters on original equipment manufacturer (OEM) supplied systems vis-à-vis indigenous ones. This step is aimed at establishing operational parity and building confidence in domestic production.

To enhance safety, a Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) will be conducted to identify potential failure modes in advance. Alongside, the plan emphasizes limited component testing, focusing more on validating the manufacturing process rather than redesigning the component itself.

The proposal also introduces a staircase approach for granting airworthiness clearance. Under this method, systems will first be approved for limited use with restricted service life. Based on satisfactory performance data from the Flight Test Bed (FTB), further clearance will be granted. This concurrent process ensures faster deployment of indigenous systems without compromising safety standards.

Importantly, the approach promises faster certification cycles by using real-time flight test data. For India’s aerospace and defense sector, this marks a crucial step toward achieving greater self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, while also strengthening the operational readiness of the Indian Air Force.

The Su-30MKI, a frontline multirole fighter jet, thus emerges as a critical test platform for India’s push to indigenize defense technologies, paving the way for reduced dependence on foreign suppliers.