This story is from May 23, 2017

Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft

NEW DELHI: Yet another frontline Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet is believed to have crashed after it went missing around 60 km north-west of the Tezpur airbase in Assam, towards the Line of Actual Control with China on Tuesday morning. No trace of the twin-engine fighter or the two pilots was found till late in the night despite a major search and rescue mission being launched by the IAF.The ill-fated “air dominance” Sukhoi, being flown by a squadron leader and flight lieutenant, had taken off in a two-aircraft formation sortie from the Tezpur airbase at about 10.30 am. “Radar and radio contact was lost with the missing Sukhoi at 11.10 am. Its last reported position was 60 km north-west of Tezpur,” said an officer.Though some reports held the Sukhoi could have gone down near the West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh, IAF officials said no trace of the missing fighter had been found in the densely-forested and mountainous terrain in the region. No signals from the locator beacons on board the jet were also detected.IAF has already lost at least seven of the 240 Sukhoi-30MKIs, which are the latest and the most potent fighters in its combat fleet, till now. In all, India has contracted 272 twin-seat Sukhois from Russia for over $12 billion, with the bulk of them being “produced under licence” by Hindustan Aeronautics. Overall, the armed forces have lost over 60 aircraft and helicopters in crashes, which have killed over 80 people, just since 2011.The Sukhoi fleet is now likely to be grounded for systematic precautionary checks before they can take to the skies again, like it happened after crashes in April 2009 and December 2011. Last year, then defence minister Manohar Parrikar had admitted to problems with the Sukhois, citing 69 incidents of technical glitches mainly revolving around the engines in the previous three years, as was reported by TOI.There are still persisting doubts over serviceability of the Sukhoi fleet due to engine problems, shoddy maintenance, poor availability and management of spares, though the government now says it has improved to over 60% now from the earlier 52%. Incidentally, on March 17, India and Russia had inked two pacts for long-term maintenance support for the Sukhois.In Video: IAF Sukhoi-30 aircraft goes missing near China border</s>IAF sources said, Sukhoi-30 aircraft on a routine training mission went missing, lost on radar 60 Km north of Tezpur.

Tezpur: A Sukhoi-30 jet with two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots on board went missing from from North of Tejpur in Assam near India-China border on Tuesday.

The aircraft was on a routine training mission when it was reported missing. It lost radar 60 km North of Tezpur, ANI quoted its sources in the IAF as saying.

A massive search operation has also been launched to track down the missing aircraft.</s>New Delhi: A Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday went missing after it lost contact with radar in Assam’s Tezpur area, near China border. Search operations are on.

As per sources, the plane took off around 9:30 am and went missing near Doulasang area of Arunachal Pradesh, which is a border area adjoining China.

The last contact was made around 11:30 am when the aircraft was nearly 60 km north of Tezpur in Assam. Two pilots were onboard the plane, sources said.

Meanwhile, in March this year, a Sukhoi-30 MKI jet had crashed in Shivkar Kudla village in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, leaving three villagers injured.</s>An IAF’s Sukhoi SU-30 has gone missing near the India-China border after taking off from Tezpur airbase in Assam. Photo: AFP

New Delhi: An Indian fighter jet has gone missing near the India-China border after taking off from an air force base in northeastern India, according to an Indian Air Force official.

The Sukhoi SU-30 aircraft had taken off on a routine training mission when radar and radio contact was lost roughly 60 kilometers north of an air force base in Tezpur, the official said, declining to be named. Contact has yet to be established with the aircraft, this person said.

India and China have tense bilateral relations, despite a $70 billion trading relationship. Beijing has invested heavily in Pakistan, India’s nuclear-armed rival, including in the disputed Pakistan-controlled region of Kashmir (PoK), which is claimed by India.

China and India also have a border dispute in northeast India, with China claiming all of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh where contact was lost with fighter jet.

India accuses China of occupying 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) in Jammu and Kashmir, while Beijing lays claim to 90,000 square kilometers of land in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Roughly one-third of India’s 650-strong air force fleet is more than 40 years old and are set to be phased out over the next decade. The air force currently has only 25 active squadrons, compared to the 45 squadrons it estimates would be required to defend against a joint attack from Pakistan and China.

The Indian Air Force’s rapidly-aging Soviet-era fleet threatens to hamper New Delhi’s ability to counter potential threats from Beijing and Islamabad. Bloomberg</s>A Sukhoi-30 jet with two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots on board has gone missing on Tuesday today near India-China border. According to initial reports, the radar had lost contacts contact was lost 60 Km North of Tezpur in Assam. The aircraft was on a routine training mission.</s>Guwahati: An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30 fighter jet with two pilots on board went missing from near the Indo-China border in Assam on Tuesday morning.

The Sukhoi took off from the IAF Tezpur air base, located only about 400 km from Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh, on a routine training mission.

"A Sukhoi-30 aircraft airborne from Tezpur today on a routine training mission lost radar and radio contact approximately 60 km from north of Tezpur town in Assam," said Tezpur-based Defence PRO Lt. Col. Sombit Ghosh.

"The aircraft is over due and actions have been initiated," he said.

Official sources said the aircraft took off at 9.30 a.m. from Tezpur air base but lost radar and radio contact nearly two hours later near in Arunachal Pradesh's Doulasang area, a border area adjoining China, 60 km north of Tezpur.

Tezpur Air force station is located 172 km from the China border.

Tezpur is one of the three air bases of the IAF in the country that hosts the Sukhoi.

Last year one Sukhoi 30 MKI crashed near Nagaon town of Assam while on a routine sortie. While the two pilots ejected before crash, the crash led to splinter injuries to some locals in the area.</s>A Sukhoi-30 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) with two pilots onboard is missing near China border after taking off from Tezpur in Assam. The jet which was on a routine training mission lost radar and radio contact when it was near Doulasang area of Arunachal Pradesh.

According to reports, the region was witnessing bad weather when the multi-role fighter jet lost control with the ground control. The jet made last contact with ground support at about 11.30 am when it was around 60 km from Tezpur air force station.

In March, a Sukhoi-30 crashed in Rajasthan's Barmer while it was on a routine sortie.

Both the pilots had managed to eject safely.

India and Russia had in March signed two agreements for long-term maintenance and technical support for Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter jets of the Indian Air Force. The combat jets have been facing engine trouble and serviceability issues since long.

Currently, the IAF operates around 230 Su-30MKI fighter jets and as per the agreements, Russian defence majors United Aircraft Corporation and the United Engine Corporation will render technical support and provide maintenance services and spares for the fleet for a period of five years.</s>NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — The Russia-made fighter jet, with two pilots on board, took off around 9.30 am (Indian Standard Time) from Salonibari in the north-eastern state and lost contact around 11.30; sources said. It is said the jet lost radar contact when the aircraft was nearly 60 kilometers away from Tezpur air base. Tezpur airbase is located 172 kilometers from the China border.

The aircraft was on a routine training mission when it first lost all radio and radar contact, and then went missing. Search and rescue are being underway in the area which is dense, according to IAF sources.

Earlier in March this year, a Sukhoi aircraft had crashed in the field of Shivkar Kudla village in Rajasthan's Barmer while on a routine sortie. Barmer is in the region bordering Pakistan. The March accident was the sixth accident of SU-30MKI since its induction into the IAF in 2002.

The SU-30MKI is twin-seater twin-engine multirole fighter of Russian origin, which is capable of carrying a variety of medium-range guided air-to-air missiles with active or semi-active radar or infrared homing close range missiles. IAF has contracted 272 Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft in 2000, of which more than 213 Su-30 MKI has been delivered till date and the balance are due to be delivered by 2020.</s>The Indian Air Force's Sukhoi-30 MKI with two pilots onboard has lost contact gone missing along the Assam-ArunachalPradesh border. The fighter jet went missing soon after getting airborne from Tezpur. Initial reports suggested that radio and radar contact was lost 60 kilometers north of Tezpur.

Two pilots were onboard the fighter jet when it took off for a training flight along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. The last contact is said to have been at 11.30 AM in Lakhimpur. The Sukhoi-30 took off for a training flight this morning at around 9.30 AM.

In March earlier this year, a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in Shivkar Kudla village in Rajasthan's Barmer district. While the pilots ejected safely, three villagers were injured.</s>Tezpur: A Sukhoi-30 jet with two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots on board went missing from from North of Tejpur in Assam near India-China border on Tuesday.

The aircraft was on a routine training mission when it was reported missing. It lost radar 60 km North of Tezpur, ANI quoted its sources in the IAF as saying.

A massive search operation has also been launched to track down the missing aircraft.
An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30 goes missing near the border with China and is presumed to have crashed along with its two pilots.