Indian and Russian air force crews practiced joint drills in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region as part of the wider inter-service Indra-2026 military exercise.

The Russian Aerospace Forces and the Indian Air Force (IAF) teams engaged in joint operations in Su-30SM fighter jets during the drill. The focus of the operations was on actions against small, low-flying targets and destroying carriers of short- and medium-range aerial weaponry.

The personnel also performed air combat maneuvers at medium and low altitudes, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

The Su-30SM is a modernized version of the Su-30MKI model, the IAF’s workhorse fighter jet. It has been modified with Russian-specific avionics, radar, and communication systems and has extreme agility.

The IAF is also running its own program to upgrade and make its Su-30MKIs more lethal and survivable, under the ‘Super Sukhoi’ program, at the state-backed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The $7.5 billion modernization program aims to upgrade an initial batch of 84 Su-30MKI fighter jets, with plans to eventually expand to over 200 more aircraft, extending the fleet’s service life through 2055.

Russia’s Rosoboronexport agency earlier highlighted that the modernization program can be performed with significant involvement from the Indian defense industry, while the facilities involved in the manufacturing of the Su-30MKI can be used for co-manufacturing of the Russian fifth-generation Su-57E fighter jet, if India decides to go ahead with Russia’s proposal.

The Indian and Russian crews also conducted exercises with Mi-8 army aviation helicopters.

The exercise’s aim was to build operational capabilities in deploying special forces units and for search-and-rescue operations in hazardous and difficult terrains.