IAF Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Fighter Jet Loses Radar Contact Over Assam; Search and Rescue Operation Launched

March 5, 2026

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.

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.@DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD @HQ_IDS_India @adgpi @Indiannavy
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 5, 2026

“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.

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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.