IAF Sukhois suffer without sound shelters?

Bangalore, Dec 26: Indian Air Force (IAF) frontline fighter plane Sukhois are suffering from possible sun-stroke as they don't have proper shelters, said a report published in

.

Now, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russian's Sukhoi Corporation will have to do some answering for exposing India's frontline fighters, Sukhois (Su-30 MKI).

According to the report, if Sukhois are exposed to the sun for a long time, malfunctions are bound to occur.

Reacting to the question raised on the issue, IAF media managers said, “Maintenance shelters have been procured at our airbases solely on the IAF’s initiative and more of these are being procured to cater to the varied environmental conditions of our country.”

HAL Bangalore claimed that the issue of providing shelter to Sukhois had been raised during quality assurance meets and Commanders’ Conference, the report said.

The report further said that HAL's Nashik Division keeps the Sukhois under shelter but the IAF uses canvas to protect them from UV rays, rain and dust. Canvas protect them from UV rays but not heat, which can harm avionics parts. Moreover, dust particles will get deposited on engine blades if they are exposed to heat and dust frequently.

The long term effect of UV rays pushes faster ageing and hardening effect on rubber and non-metallic parts of Sukhois, which can lead to premature failure in the long run, claimed the report.

OneIndia News