Guwahati: A Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force lost radar contact over Assam on Thursday, with a search and rescue mission promptly initiated to locate the aircraft, officials confirmed.
The IAF, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said the aircraft had taken off from Jorhat in Assam and was last in contact at 7:42 PM. Further details are being ascertained, the force added.
“A search and rescue mission has been initiated,” the IAF stated, while noting that additional details are awaited.
The Su-30 MKI is a highly customised variant of the aircraft originally developed by Russia in the 1980s and has long served as the backbone of the Indian Air Force. Multiple squadrons of the Su-30 MKI are currently deployed across the northeastern region.
Russia delivered the first batch of Su-30s to India in 1997. The aircraft is now being manufactured domestically by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), with more than 250 units currently operational with the IAF.