Two IAF pilots dead as Sukhoi-30MKI jet crashes in Assam’s Karbi Anglong
The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of over 260 Su-30MKI jets
Two Indian Air Force pilots were killed on Thursday when their Sukhoi-30MKI jet crashed near Chokihola in Karbi Anglong district of Assam during a training mission.
Related news: First crash of 2026 takes Su-30 fleet attrition to 13 aircraft, 5 pilots since induction
Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar sustained fatal injuries in the Sukhoi-30 crash, the IAF said in a post on Friday morning.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed the crash of the Russian-origin aircraft at 1 am on Friday.
Officials said the Sukhoi-30 MKI went missing shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase. The jet crashed some 60 km south of Jorhat, they said.
Communication with the Russian-origin aircraft was lost at 7.42 pm and an IAF team was constituted to ascertain the facts, the officials had said on Thursday.
The Su-30MKI is a two-seater multi-role long-range fighter jet developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi. It is now built under licence by HAL for the IAF.
The IAF operates a fleet of over 260 Su-30MKI jets. A Sukhoi fighter plane had crashed in the Nashik district of Maharashtra in June 2024. Another Sukhoi-30 jet had crashed in January 2023, after taking off from the Gwalior airbase.
