An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam on Thursday evening, sparking an intensive search and rescue operation for the pilot.

The aircraft, which is a cornerstone of India’s aerial defence, had departed from the Jorhat Air Force Station on a routine training mission before disappearing from radar screens.

Initial reports from defence officials suggest that the twin-seat multirole fighter lost all communication with ground control shortly after its departure.

The final recorded contact with the aircraft occurred at approximately 7:42 pm, after which the jet failed to maintain its scheduled flight path, prompting an immediate emergency response from the authorities.

In a concise public statement, the IAF confirmed that the Su-30MKI was officially reported as overdue. The Air Force noted that further details regarding the flight’s trajectory are currently being ascertained while dedicated search teams focus their efforts on the last known coordinates of the jet.

The crash site has been identified in a heavily forested area of Karbi Anglong, located roughly 60 kilometres from the airbase in Jorhat. Local residents in the vicinity reported hearing a significant explosion around the time the aircraft vanished, though these eyewitness accounts are still being formally verified by investigators on the ground.

Search and rescue teams are currently navigating difficult terrain and dense foliage in an attempt to locate the wreckage and the missing pilot. As of Friday morning, no official information has been released regarding the pilot’s condition or whether an ejection was successfully initiated before the impact.

The Su-30MKI is a sophisticated, platform manufactured under licence in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Given its role as the backbone of the IAF’s combat fleet, a high-level inquiry is expected to be convened to determine if the incident was caused by a technical malfunction or environmental factors.

Agencies