• Source:JND
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Indian Air Force (IAF)'s Sukhoi Su-30MKI reportedly went missing in Assam's Karbi Anglong around 7 PM on Thursday. The Defence PRO, Guwahati, said a Sukhoi-30 was missing from radar contact in Karbi Anglong district. An Air Force team has been launched to ascertain the facts, it added. Several media reports emerged on social media suggesting that the fighter jet crashed. However, the official confirmation is awaited.

The IAF shared a post on X regarding the incident, saying "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."

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

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Upgradation Of Sukhoi Jets

Last year in June, India took the initiative to upgrade its Sukhoi-30MKI fighter fleet with the help of Russia. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov in the Chinese city of Qingdao. Upgrading India's Sukhoi-30MKI fighter fleet was one of the agendas when the two defence ministers held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

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The Indian Air Force is operating around 260 Sukhoi 30-MKI jets, and it is looking at upgrading the fleet under an ambitious plan.

(With PTI inputs)


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