India, March 5 -- A Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft has gone missing from radar in Assam, officials said, and a search and rescue operation has been launched.

The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat and was last in contact at 7:42 pm, the Indian Air Force said in a post on X.

The Su-30MKI, a highly customised version of the Russian-built Su-30 developed in the 1980s, has been the backbone of the IAF for decades.

Multiple squadrons are deployed in the northeast to maintain air defence readiness.

Officials said further details about the incident would be shared as the search and investigation progresses.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from India Blooms....