Moscow: Russia has delivered another 12 Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters to India, bringing to 22 the total number of the multi-role combat planes in Indian Air Force.

With the delivery of the latest batch to the Indian Air Force by Russia's Irkut Aircraft Corporation, India now has 22 Sukhoi Su-30MKI air supremacy fighters with devastating ground attack capabilities at land and sea targets, a senior official of Irkut Corporation said.

In October, while visiting Irkut Aircraft Corporation in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy, had flagged off the new batch of Su-30MKI multi-role jets on their voyage to India to join the Indian Air Force.

Under an agreement signed in November 1996 India has received 22 multi-mission fighter jets, including eight Su-30K jets of the older configuration.

Irkut corporation is to supply another 10 jets next year after which earlier supplied 8 Su-30K would be upgraded to MKI version by fitting thrust vectoring engines.

Simultaneously, Irkut Corporation has begun the transfer of technology for the indigenous production of another 140 Su-30MKI at HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) facilities in India.