Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force

Armed with 11 AAMs

A Sukhoi-30MKI of No.20 Squadron armed with five R-77 Adder and six R-73E Training missiles

Armed to the teeth

A Sukhoi carrying four R-27 AAMs , four R-77 RVV-AEE along with four R-73E training rounds

Close up of the forward fuselage

Close up of the forward fuselage of an MKI shows the Canards and the leading wing root edge.

Canopy-less Sukhoi

An Su-30MKI with its cockpit canopy as well as the ejection seats removed for routine maintenance.

Pilots get ready for a sortie.

Two pilots get ready for a Sortie. Note the orange flight suit worn by the pilot in front. Normally it is the prerogative of the Pilots in Maritime role to wear brightly colored suits which would be a visual aid in a Search and Rescue scenario.

Look. .Ma... No Hands!

Somewhere over the great seas - a Sukhoi-30 MKI flies on Autopilot. Look closely and you will find that both pilots have their hands "up"

R-77 Adder Air to Air Missile.

A live RVV-AEE "Adder" missile on the outermost pylon of a Sukhoi-30MKI

SB021

SB021

Two Sukhois ready for mission

Two Sukhois, One of them (SB022) armed with an R-77 training round are ready for a mission

Sukhoi SB023 of No.20 Squadron

Sukhoi SB023 of No.20 Squadron. The aircraft is carrying training missile rounds on the wingtips.

Sukhoi-30MKI [SB029] at Lohegaon ATC.

SB029 is seen parked in front of the ATC at Lohegoan.

Firing a Kh-31a Air to Surface Guided Missile

This rare photograph of a Sukhoi-30MKI firing a Kh-31a Air to Ground Munition was published in the History of the Indian Air Force by Mr. Pushpindar Singh Chopra.

Static Display at Yelahanka

This Sukhoi belonging to No.24 Squadron (on loan from No.20) was on Static Display Duty at Aero India 2007

Sukhoi-30 MKI [SB040] taking off

Sukhoi-30 MKI [SB040] taking off for a aerobatics display at Yelahanka during Aero India 2005. This aircraft belonged to No.30 Squadron.

Sukhoi-30MKI [SB041] of the Charging Rhinos

SB041 is from the last batch of direct imports from Russia. This aircraft is from No.30 Squadron.

Sukhoi-30MKI [SB042] of the Charging Rhinos

A better shot of SB042 before it taxied away for a sortie.

Sukhoi-30MKI [SB042] of the Charging Rhinos

Normally bad shots of aircraft like this never make it to the gallery except but for the fact that SB042 has been photographed for the first time. It is from the last batch of direct imports from Russia. This aircraft is from No.30 Squadron.

SB102 peels away from Composite Formation

Sukhoi-30MKI SB102 is one of the HAL manufactured variants flying with No.20 Squadron. The aircraft is seen here in a mixed formation with HAL Kiran II U836

SB121

SB121 is one of the rare examples produced by HAL that is seen in this photograph.

MKI Landing

SB157 is a HAL produced MKI landing in this photograph.

SB157 taking off

Sukhoi-30MKI SB157 taking off from Bangalore

Flankers over Pune

Two Sukhoi-30MKIs of No.20 Squadron on a flight over Pune

Su-30s in close formation

Three MKIs of No. 20 Squadron, in close echelon formation, on way to rendezvouz with an Il-78 tanker

Flanker takes off at Aero India 2003

An Su-30MKI retracts its undercarriage on takeoff at Aero India 2003

Flanker over Yelahanka

A Sukhoi-30 MKI makes a low pass over Yelahanka airfield

Flanker at Aero-India 2003

SB 022 prepares for her demonstration flight at Aero India 2003

Flanker and radar

No 20 squadrons technicians service the gigantic radar of an MKI at Lohegaon

Flanker at sunset

A Sukhoi-30MKI caught in the warm glow of the setting sun at Lohegaon

Flanker and Boss

Wing Commander NS Jamwal, CO No. 20 Squadron (Lightnings), alights from his Su-30MKI

Armed to the teeth

A fully-loaded Su-30MKI lies parked in the hangar. Under the main fuselage of the aircraft are clusters of 250 kg. bombs, while air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles are fitted under the wings.