A Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong area during a training mission, the force confirmed on Thursday late at night. In its latest update on X, the IAF said, “The Su-30MKI, which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approximately 60 km from Jorhat. Search operations are underway.”Earlier, officials had said the aircraft had lost radar contact after taking off from Jorhat in Assam.
The Su-30MKI, which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approximately 60 km from Jorhat. Search operations are underway.
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter that serves as the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It was developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and is built under license by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Indian Air Force operates almost 260 Su-30MKI fighter jets, but India lost more than 24 Su-30MKI in peacetime accidents, and 3 Su-30MKI were shot down during the operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
A major modernisation program is underway to upgrade approximately 84 aircraft with indigenous Uttam AESA radars, new electronic warfare suites, and advanced cockpit systems to extend service life until 2055, but the Indian Air Force opted to purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets worth $40 billion.
In September 2024, the Indian government approved a ₹26,000 crore (US$3.1 billion) deal to procure 240 AL-31FP engines from HAL to replace older power plants in the fleet.
© 2026, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
