Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will chair a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council on Monday, with the most significant agenda item being a proposal to overhaul forty Sukhoi Su‑30MKI fighter jets, NDTV reported. 

These aircraft continue to form the backbone of the Indian Air Force’s combat fleet, and the proposal reflects the urgent need to sustain their operational readiness.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has put forward the overhaul plan, but given the scale of expenditure involved, the DAC’s approval is required before any progress can be made. This proposal is not entirely new. Last year, HAL had flagged twenty Su‑30MKIs for overhaul. What has changed now is the scale, with the number doubling to forty.

The Indian Air Force operates close to two hundred and sixty Su‑30MKIs, spread across multiple sectors and tasked with missions ranging from air superiority to long‑range strikes. Ensuring that such a large fleet remains airworthy has become a priority for the government.

This explains why overhaul and life‑extension work repeatedly returns to the DAC’s table. Earlier this year, the council cleared an overhaul of Su‑30 aero‑engine aggregates, part of a broader ₹2,38,000 crores package of defence acquisitions.

The Ministry of Defence stated that this work would extend the aircraft’s service life and help the IAF meet operational demands.

The Su‑30MKI fleet is closely tied to HAL’s story, as the company builds and maintains nearly all of them. In December 2024, the ministry approved an order worth about ₹13,500 crores for twelve new Su‑30MKIs, built at HAL’s Nashik plant, to replace aircraft lost over the years and strengthen the fleet. 

Monday’s overhaul proposal builds on the same logic: an ageing and heavily worked fleet requires sustained investment to remain combat‑ready, especially since the IAF continues to operate below its sanctioned squadron strength.

The Su‑30MKI overhaul is not the only item on the agenda. The Army and Navy are also expected to present proposals, continuing a series of DAC meetings that have kept India’s acquisition pipeline active.

In July, the council cleared capital proposals worth nearly ₹52,000 crores, covering air defence systems, counter‑drone technologies, precision strike weapons and surveillance equipment. Monday’s meeting is expected to add further momentum to this process.

It is important to note that the DAC’s role here is to grant an Acceptance of Necessity, or AoN. This is essentially the first checkpoint in India’s procurement process, not a final contract.

Even if the council approves the overhaul of forty jets, the actual cost, timeline and scope will only be clarified once the Ministry of Defence issues its formal statement afterwards.

This proposal should also be distinguished from India’s larger Su‑30MKI modernisation program, which aims to integrate more indigenous systems and advanced technologies into the aircraft. That upgrade program is a separate initiative.

The current proposal is narrower in scope, focusing on keeping the existing fleet mechanically sound and operational rather than rebuilding its capabilities from within.

If the DAC grants approval, HAL will likely lead the execution, as it has with every other chapter of the Su‑30MKI program. Monday’s meeting will therefore provide a clear indication of India’s defence acquisition priorities, with the Su‑30 overhaul emerging as the most closely watched proposal.

Agencies