Indian defence company Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) expects the Indian Air Force (IAF) to order an additional 42 indigenously built Sukhoi Su-30MKIs.

The multirole combat aircraft is a variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 and is an all-weather capable, heavy-class, long-range air superiority fighter, which can also act as a strike fighter aircraft.

HAL chairman Ashok Nayak said the company was already producing 180 Su-30MKIs for the IAF.

The IAF has already received about 105 aircraft from the order of 180, Nayak added.

In addition, in mid-2010, India ordered 40 Su-30MKIs as flyaways from Russia’s Sukhoi, reports Flightglobal.