First Indigenously Overhauled Su 30 MKI Fighter Aircraft Handed Over For Use

In a landmark event, Air Marshal Hemant Sharma, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Maintenance Command, handed over the first indigenously overhauled Su 30 MKI aircraft to Air Marshal HS Arora, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Western Air Command at an impressive ceremony held at Air Force Station, Ojhar.

11 BRD is the only fighter aircraft repair depot of the Indian Air Force and undertakes repair and overhaul of frontline fighters such as MIG-29 and Sukhoi 30 MKI. It was established on 29 April 1974 and subsequently renamed as 11 Base Repair Depot (BRD) on 1 January 1975.

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The depot progressively built and improved the technical expertise and infrastructure over the years and by 1983 it had overhauled 100 Su-7 aircraft. From 1983 to 1988, the depot also undertook an overhaul of MIG-21 and 28 aircraft were produced. Later, the overhaul facility for MIG-23 aircraft was set up in 1986 and 248 aircraft were overhauled till May 2015.

Overhaul of MIG-29 aircraft commenced in the year 1996 and presently, the upgradation of MIG-29 and Repair and Overhaul (ROH) of Su-30 MKI aircraft is being undertaken at the depot. In addition, 11 BRD is the only agency to undertake an overhaul of ejection seats and role equipment of Su-30 MKI aircraft, both for IAF and HAL.

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Earlier, the first Su-30 MKI overhauled by this depot successfully took off on 24 April 2018 and has been flight tested for its airworthiness, before inducting it for operational tasks at a flying squadron.