France urges India to halt supply chain aiding Russian jets

According to the Ukrainian service Militarnyj, this results from an investigation conducted by the InformNapalm group. During this investigation, it was found that Kazakhstan companies are involved in the repair and maintenance of Russian Su-30SM aircraft, including using components from French companies Thales and Safran.

Representatives of both companies assured the media that they do not export their equipment to Kazakhstan. As a result, the matter was revisited, confirming India's key role. Kazakhstan-based companies are acquiring the French components necessary for the Russian Su-30SM from this country.

India is the largest user of such aircraft (possessing over 250 Su-30MKI units) and has extensive experience in maintaining machines of Russian origin. Additionally, many Indian companies have become significant players in the global market, with some being key suppliers of Su-30 family aircraft components. The government in Delhi received an official request from the French government to block the export of spare parts (including multifunction displays, navigation systems, and HUD indicators) to countries that might later supply them to Russia.

India has not yet responded to the French request. Delhi has long sought to balance good relations with both Russia and the West. The country relied on Soviet/Russian equipment for many years, but it is now also signing defence contracts with NATO countries, including France, notably with the Dassault Rafale M.

The Su-30SM is Russia's most advanced fighter aircraft, notable for its operational range of about 3,000 kilometres and the ability to operate at an altitude of up to 17,500 metres. Measuring nearly 22 metres in length, the aircraft is designed for destroying targets in the air, on land, and at sea. It has a standard aircraft cannon and twelve pylons for additional armaments, weighing up to 8,000 kilograms. The Su-30SM can carry missiles such as the R-73, S-8, or Kh-25 and guided bombs.