<p>The new deal comes a week after an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI crashed near Pune in Maharashtra following which the entire fleet of 120 planes in six squadrons has been grounded while the case of the accident is investigated.<br /><br />The deal was among five pacts signed after delegation-level talks between visiting Indian Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.<br /><br />The agreement was signed by Indian Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma, who is part of the prime minister's delegation, and Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Director M.A. Dmitriev here in the presence of Manmohan Singh and Medvedev.<br /><br />India had in the mid-1990s signed an agreement with Russia for buying 50 twin-seater Sukhois off-the-shelf that were delivered beginning 1997. </p>.<p>In 2000, the two sides had signed another deal for licensed production of 140 Su-30MKIs by defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). <br /><br />In 2007, a protocol was envisaged for manufacture of a further 40 Sukhois.<br /><br />"The present protocol envisaged manufacture of an additional 42 aircraft by HAL, taking the total Sukhois for the IAF to 272 planes," Sharma told IANS.</p>
<p>The new deal comes a week after an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI crashed near Pune in Maharashtra following which the entire fleet of 120 planes in six squadrons has been grounded while the case of the accident is investigated.<br /><br />The deal was among five pacts signed after delegation-level talks between visiting Indian Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.<br /><br />The agreement was signed by Indian Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma, who is part of the prime minister's delegation, and Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Director M.A. Dmitriev here in the presence of Manmohan Singh and Medvedev.<br /><br />India had in the mid-1990s signed an agreement with Russia for buying 50 twin-seater Sukhois off-the-shelf that were delivered beginning 1997. </p>.<p>In 2000, the two sides had signed another deal for licensed production of 140 Su-30MKIs by defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). <br /><br />In 2007, a protocol was envisaged for manufacture of a further 40 Sukhois.<br /><br />"The present protocol envisaged manufacture of an additional 42 aircraft by HAL, taking the total Sukhois for the IAF to 272 planes," Sharma told IANS.</p>