[原创翻译]《简氏防务周刊》：印度国防部长Manohar Parrikar承认Su-30MKI可维护性问题

India defence minister admits Su-30 serviceability issues

Rahul Bedi, New Delhi - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
18 March 2015
   

印度国防部长Manohar Parrikar3月17日告诉国会，印度空军Su-30MKI多用途战斗机被频发的“发动机空中故障和发动机相关问题”以及低劣的可维护性所折磨

自打1997年该机型服役以来，已经有5架双引擎的Su-30MKI坠毁。

Parrikar说从2013年1月到2014年12月，印度空军记录了35次土星AL-31FP发动机技术问题，该发动机用于印度许可生产的Su-30MKI战斗机。这些问题与轴承故障以及低压油有关。

他说，这些轴承是用于减少战斗机活动的摩擦力，金属疲劳导致这些轴承剥落或破碎，结果这些颗粒污染了油流。

部长说，从2012年起调查了69次Su-30MKI发动机事故，其中33次归于咎油中的碎屑，11次事故归咎于发动机中的振动，还有8次是因为润滑油压力过低。

部长没提供其余17次发动机相关问题的任何解释，但Parrikar说，发动机的原厂商已经“在新发动机生产和旧发动机大修中提供了9项改进或者技术提升”

这些改进和技术提升包括“更好的润滑，更好的轴承装配，以及更好质量的油”

国防部长宣布，所有这些措施，已经用于25台由HAL在其印度东部Koraput 工厂许可生产的AL-31FP发动机中。

作为一个结果，发动机和维修和大修周期，从过去500飞行小时，提升到现在的900小时。

Parrikar说印度空军拥有200架Su-30MKI，但归咎于低劣的可维护性，只有100架或者55%的机队可以出动，他补充道，到2015年底，Su-30MKI机队的妥善率将提升到70%。


Parrikar还说到努力确保印度空军的40架安东诺夫An-32军用运输机中的大约10架的归程安全，这些飞机目前在乌克兰，它们正在那儿进行升级。根据2009年签署的价值3.13亿美元合同，大约30架An-32已经在乌克兰升级成An-32RE，并在2014年前返回印度。

这次升级，目标是把An-32的使用寿命从25年延长到40年，包括高级航电，座舱显示改进，降低噪音和振动，并提升可维护性。



印度空军在北部Kanpur的基地维修厂已经对65架An-32进行了类似的改造。

同时，Parrikar说，印度空军获取126架法国达索阵风战斗机的期待已久的决策，不能“无休止”，应加快。
他说，从2012年1月开始与达索谈判采购事宜的合同谈判委员会，将在3月内提交报告，之后，将就这个交易做出“最终决定”

印度外交部长S Jaishankar 将在本月晚些时候访问巴黎，以便为印度总理4月的访法行程细节定稿。阵风交易很有可能在与法国政府的会谈中占据显著位置。


原文地址：http://www.janes.com/article/500 ... rviceability-issues

India defence minister admits Su-30 serviceability issues

Rahul Bedi, New Delhi - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
18 March 2015
   
The IAF's Su-30MKI fleet is plagued by frequent engine failure-in-air and engine-related problems and poor serviceability, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen
The Indian Air Force's (IAF's) Su-30MKI multirole fighter fleet is plagued by frequent "engine failure-in-air and engine-related problems" and poor operational serviceability, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told parliament on 17 March.

Five twin-engine Su-30MKIs have crashed since the platform began to enter service in 1997.

Parrikar said between January 2013 and December 2014 the IAF had recorded technical problems with 35 Saturn AL-31FP engines that power the licence-built Su-30MKIs. The problems were related to faulty bearings and low-pressure oil.

He said metal fatigue caused these bearings, which are incorporated to reduce friction between the fighter's moving parts, to chip or fragment and the resulting particles contaminated the oil flow.

Of 69 Su-30MKI engine failures investigated since 2012, the minister said "33 were due to finding [metal] chips in the oil, 11 due to vibration in the engine, and 8 because of low pressure of lubricating oil".

He did not provide any explanation for the remaining 17 engine-related problems, but Parrikar said that the engine's original equipment manufacturer (OEM) had "offered nine modifications or technological improvements in the production of new aero-engines and during overhaul of engines".

These included "better lubrication, better fitment of bearings, and better quality of oil".

All these measures, the minister stated, had been incorporated into 25 AL-31FP engines that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had since licence-built at its Koraput plant in eastern India.

As a result, engine maintenance and overhaul, which had been taking place after 500 flying hours, now took place after 900 hours.

The IAF operates 200 Su-30MKIs, but of these only 110 or 55% were operationally available due to poor serviceability, Parrikar said, adding that this would increase to 70% by the end of 2015.

Parrikar also said that efforts were afoot to secure the return of around 10 of 40 IAF Antonov An-32 military transporters that are stranded in Ukraine where they were undergoing an upgrade. Around 30 An-32s, which were upgraded to An-32RE levels in Ukraine under an INR19.67 billion (USD313.3 million) agreement inked in 2009, had returned home by 2014.

The upgrade, aimed at increasing the An-32's operational lifespan from 25 to 40 years, includes advanced avionics, cockpit layout modifications, noise and vibration reductions, and improving serviceability.

The IAF's Base Repair Depot at Kanpur in northern India has been similarly retrofitting a further 65 An-32s.

Meanwhile, Parrikar said that the long awaited decision on the IAF acquiring 126 Dassault Rafale fighters could not be "endless" and would be expedited.

He said that the Contract Negotiation Committee, which has been negotiating with Dassault over the purchase since January 2012, is expected to submit its report in March, following which a "final decision" will be taken on the deal.

Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar is visiting Paris later this month to finalise details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in April. The Rafale deal is likely to feature prominently in talks with the French government.

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.

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