India has started sourcing Sukhoi spares directly from Israel, France: Parrikar

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar

With the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Russia facing problems in sourcing spare parts for fighter aircraft Sukhoi, India has started sourcing spares directly from western sources like Israel and France, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

To a question from NCP leader Praful Patel on shortage of spares due to Russia’s problems in sourcing the spare parts from countries like Belarus and Ukraine , Parrikar said the issue was “relevant for all platforms from Russia.”

“We have taken up the issue with the Russian government. In fact, I had a discussion with the Minister. In certain cases, with approval, we are also developing replacement of parts from Western sources,” he said.

“Some of the sources of Russians themselves are Western. A lot of them are from Israel, France, etc. So, these are being brought in directly with their approval, or in certain cases we are coordinating the efforts and getting the spares,” said Parrikar. He also said that the serviceability of Sukhois has increased by about seven per cent over the past eight to nine months.

“Not all issues are resolved, but as I mentioned, for Sukhoi itself, we have improved the serviceability by seven per cent, almost from 49-50 to 56-70 per cent. We intend to get it to 70 per cent by year-end,” the minister said.

Of 69 cases of engine failure in air or engine-related problems in last three years, 33 cases were due to finding of chips in the oil, 11 due to vibration in engine, and eight cases were because of low pressure of lubricating oil, Parrikar said.

Source:: Indian Express