Su-30MKI aircraft cockpit displays 'blanking off'

NEW DELHI: Cockpit displays of some of the Su-30MKI "blanking off" affected the use of the aircraft, India has told Russia, which is the manufacturer and supplier of these fighter planes to IAF.

"Displays blanking off is a serious and critical issue affecting the exploitation of the aircraft and needs immediate resolution of the matter on priority," state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited wrote to the Russian Irkut Corporation, which builds the aircraft.

In the letter dated February 28, a top HAL functionary has stated that the head-up displays and other displays were "blanking off" during flight of the aircraft belonging to some particular batches of the Su-30MKI and the Russian side has already been informed about it.

HAL stated in the letter that the Russian side has not yet responded even after the first complaint in this regard was registered in March 2013 and the Russian adviser deployed in India was also informed about it. The documents related to communication between Indian and Russian officials have come to light after hackers breached Russian defence firms' networks and posted the material online.

Another leaked document suggested that the delay in setting up an MRO for the Su-30MKI aircraft was "adversely affecting" the already delayed process of overhauling the fighter jets. The delay in setting up the facility and deployment of Russian specialists was "adversely affecting the progress of the already delayed Su-30MKI overhaul programme and our commitment to IAF and the Defence Ministry on plan for setting up overhaul facilities," the official said in the letter.