In 1969, the Soviet Union informed that the United States Air Force has selected the McDonnell Douglas to produce the design of an experimental fighter (which would evolve into the F-15). To deal with this future threat, the Soviet Union began a program of PFI (Perspektivnyi Frontovoy Istrebitel, "advanced tactical fighter") aircraft are planned to produce results that could rival the United States draft. However, the specifications required to meet the requirements of this program on a plane just proved to be too complicated and expensive. Then this program is divided into two, namely TPFI (Tyazholyi Perspektivnyi Frontovoi Istrebitel, "advanced tactical fighter aircraft weight") and the LPFI (Legkiy Perspektivnyi Frontovoi Istrebitel, "advanced tactical fighter light"). This step is also similar to what the United States, where the United States began a program "Lightweight Fighter" which will produce the F-16. OKB Sukhoi given TPFI program. The design first appeared as the Sukhoi aircraft wing delta T-10, which first flew on May 20, 1977 T-10 seen by Western observers, and given the NATO code Flanker-A. The development of the T-10 encountered many problems, which resulted in the destruction of one of the plane when it crashed on May 7, 1978, incident was then followed up with a lot of modifications to the design, which produces T-10S, which first flew on April 20 1981 this aircraft also encountered difficulties, and falling on December 23, 1981 the production version of this aircraft (Su-27 or Su-27S, NATO code Flanker-B) came into use in the Soviet air Force in 1984, but in 1986 a whole new use, because it had hampered by production problems. This aircraft used by the Soviet Air Defence Anti (Voyska PVO) and the Soviet Air Force (VVS). Its use in the V-PVO is as interceptors, replace the Sukhoi Su-15 and Tupolev Tu-28. And its use in VVS is more focused on air interdiction, the task of attacking and AWACS aircraft fuel, which is considered as an important asset of NATO air forces.
Negotiations with India to supply aircraft Su-27 fighters began in 1994 the design bureau began work to develop the Su-30-based aircraft for the Indian Air Force in 1995 AF Barkovsky appointed chief designer of the project. On 30 November 1996 an agreement was made for the gradual development and delivery to India of 8 Su-30K fighters and 32 two-seat Su-30MKI multi-role fighters with two chairs. Aircraft scheduled for delivery in several consignments, with gradually increasing avionics, powerplant and weapons. General developer according to the Russian government issued a resolution is:
For aircraft construction: the Sukhoi Design Bureau OJSC (now JSC), For aircraft production: Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association (IAPA, now Irkut Corporation).
Two prototypes were built by the Design Bureau from 1995 to 1998. The first prototype, the Su-30I-1, based on the Su-30 version of the product, prototype or model aircraft is finished in the spring of 1997, first flight performed by pilot test V.Yu. Averyanov on 1 July 1997 In July 1997, the Design Bureau launched a program to test the aircraft with SPFC of the Air Force. The aircraft was manufactured in Irkutsk since 2000 At the time of Pre-Production for the first time the aircraft has been flight tested by V.Yu. Averyanov on November 26, 2000 Pre-production Su-30MKIs third have been submitted to the Bureau of Design and has been used in conjunction with a prototype in a joint-testing program with SPFC of the Air Force. In accordance with the provisions of the contract, then the Su-30MKI aircraft will be tested and delivered in 3 stages. First delivery of 10 Su-30MKI to users occurred in 2002; The second of 12 airplanes, in 2003 In 2004, the Su-30K and Su-30MKI fleet has been incorporated into the unit with two Air Force squadron.