IAF Sukhoi-30 MKI crashes in Assam's Karbi; search underway

Sukhoi 30

An Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force(IAF) crashed in Karbi Anglong of Assam, the Indian Air Force said in a post on X. It said that the aircraft which was on a training mission crashed approximately 60 kilometers from Jorhat, adding that search operations are underway.

Earlier it was reported that it went missing from radar contact, prompting the IAF to initiate efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

An Air Force team has been launched to ascertain the facts, Defence PRO, Guwahati, said, as reported by news agency ANI.

The fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force went missing from radar contact while flying over Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.

"An IAF Su-30 MKI is reported overdue. The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat air base in Assam and was last in contact at 7:42 pm," Defence PRO Lt Col Mahender Rawat said in a statement.

He said search and rescue operations have been initiated to ascertain the status of the fighter jet. There is no immediate news of the pilot yet, the PRO said.

Meanwhile, another official said some locals from Chokihola area in Bokajan sub-division have claimed that a plane may have crashed inside a forested area.

"We are preparing a team to send and verify it. We cannot confirm anything at this moment," he added.

The Su-30MKI is a formidable multirole fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force featuring thrust vectoring and advanced avionics. The Su-30MKI can carry a wide range of weapons — including the Astra Mk-1 long-range air-to-air missile, BrahMos air-launched missile, and various precision-guided bombs.

The Indian Air Force, which began inducting the twin-engine Su-30MKI about two decades ago, currently operates 272 aircraft of this type.