An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su‑30MKI fighter jet that had gone missing shortly after taking off fromAssam’s Jorhat on Thursday evening has crashed in the Karbi Anglong region, the IAF confirmed, while search and rescue operations are currently in progress.
The aircraft was undertaking a routine training sortie and is believed to have gone down nearly 60 km from Jorhat. Officials have not yet released any information about the condition of the two pilots on board.
In a post on X, the IAF wrote, “The Su-30MKI which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approx 60 km from Jorhat. Search operations are underway.”
Earlier, the authorities had revealed that the aircraft had taken off from Jorhat and was last in communication at 7:42 pm.
“An IAF Su-30 MKI is reported overdue. The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat, Assam and was last in contact at 7:42 pm. Further details are being ascertained. Search and Rescue mission has been initiated,” the IAF said, confirming the incident.
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a twin-engine, multi-role combat aircraft designed to undertake a wide spectrum of missions, including air superiority, strike operations, and long-range patrols.
The fighter jet can attain speeds of around 2,100 km per hour and has an operational range of roughly 3,000 km, which can be significantly increased to nearly 8,000 km through mid-air refuelling.
