A Sukhoi fighter jet of the Indian Air Force has gone missing. The Su-30 jet had taken off from Jorhat in Assam, after which it suddenly disappeared from the radar in the sky of Karbi Anglong district. The PRO of the Defense Ministry in Guwahati has said that the fighter aircraft has lost radar contact.
What did the Indian Air Force tell about the incident?
Indian Air Force has given information regarding the incident of missing Sukhoi 30 by posting it on social media platform X. The post read, ‘A Su-30 MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force is reported missing. The plane had taken off from Jorhat in Assam and was last contacted at 7:42 pm. More information is being gathered, search and rescue operation has been started.
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@Indianavy— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) March 5, 2026
The most powerful fighter jet after Rafale
After Rafale, Su-30MKI is the most powerful fighter jet of the Indian Air Force. It plays a decisive role in air defense, deep strike and maritime operations. At present, the Indian Air Force has only Sukhoi-30MKI in its fleet of fighter jets.
plan to build hi-tech
There are preparations to modernize Sukhoi-30 MKI under the ‘Super Sukhoi’ (Super-30) program. It is necessary to do this to make them fully capable by the year 2040. It is being told that in the Rs 63,000 crore project, 84 aircraft will be equipped with indigenous AESA radar, new avionics, modern electronic warfare suites and long-range missiles (like BrahMos), which will increase their lifespan by 25-30 years.
When did Su-30 join the IAF fleet?
Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets were inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2002. India had signed a deal with Russia for Sukhoi in 1996 itself. The first batch of Sukhoi-30 was delivered to India in 1997, although the updated Sukhoi-30MKI became part of the Indian Air Force in 2002. These fighter planes have been produced in collaboration with Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The first Sukhoi-30 of joint production joined the Air Force in November 2004. Currently Su-30MKI is the backbone of the Indian Air Force. Their number is more than 200.
