India floats RFP to upgrade 258 Su-30MKI fighters with anti-jamming navigation system

NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at strengthening the electronic warfare capabilities of the IAF's workhorse fighter jets, the defence ministry has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to upgrade the Su-30MKI fighters with a state-of-the-art anti-jamming, anti-spoofing multi-constellation global positioning system (GPS) antenna.

Jamming and spoofing are part of electronic warfare. Under jamming, the signal is stopped or overpowered from reaching the receiver, and spoofing is the process by which a wrong signal is fed to trick the receiver.

The antenna upgrade is part of the wider "Super Sukhoi" modernisation programme. The IAF currently operates about 258 Su-30MKI fighter aircraft — the backbone of the IAF's combat fleet.



The upgrade is aimed at enhancing the capability and reach of the existing Su-30MKI with a new multi-constellation antenna. The antenna will be compatible to operate under multiple satellite navigation constellations simultaneously, including India's own NaVIC system, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and the GAGAN satellite-based augmentation system.

The system, according to the RFP, is required to operate across the full flight envelope of the Su-30MKI, functioning at altitudes up to 21 km, speeds up to Mach 1.5 and accelerations ranging from -2g to 9g.

According to the RFP, 300 antenna systems along with 50 field-level testers and 10 base-level testers are to be delivered. The entire project is to be completed within 24 months of contract signing. The RFP bids must be submitted online by June 22, 2026, with the technical bid opening scheduled for the following day.