Weather hampers search for Sukhoi

New Delhi: The search and rescue (SAR) mission for the missing Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft continued for the second day on Wednesday.

The Sukhoi jet on a routine training mission as part of a two aircraft formation with two pilots on board, went missing after taking off from the Tezpur Salonibari air force station at 10:30 am. The aircraft was on a routine training sortie and is suspected to have crashed in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.

An IAF spokesperson said, “The search and rescue operations were resumed at daybreak today (Wednesday). C-130 aircraft with electro-optical payload, ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) and Chetak helicopters of IAF have been tasked for this mission. However, marginal weather prevailing at the area being searched is hampering and impeding the operations... SU-30 aircraft with recce capability is also being utilised for locating the missing aircraft.”

Apart from the aerial assets, four ground parties of IAF personnel, nine parties of Indian Army and two parties of state administration have been deployed on different axes to search the area. Till now no breakthrough have been made in locating the aircraft and its pilots”.

The IAF has not declared a crash yet. The two missing pilots are between 25 and 30 years of age.

A frontline aircraft of the IAF, there are about 230 operational Su-30 fighters although just half of that strength is available for operational flights due to numerous issues at any given point of time.

The Su-30 flies at about 2,100 kmph, has a range of 3,000 km and a capability to be airborne for more than 3.5 hours.

The country’s frontline SU-30 MKI aircraft was inducted in the Tezpur air base on June 15, 2009.

At present, two squadrons comprising around 36 aircraft are deployed at Tezpur for guarding the Sino-India border in Arunachal Pradesh.