A fighter jet crashed during a training flight in the northeast, killing its two pilots, the Indian air force said Friday. Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar died after a Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district in India during a training session.

On Thursday evening, a Sukhoi fighter jet disappeared from radar coverage while flying over the Karbi Anglong district of Assam, not long after taking off from the Jorhat airbase. Defence PRO Lt Col Mahender Rawat confirmed that the Su‑30MKI dropped off the radar as it crossed the Karbi Anglong area.

“An IAF Su-30 MKI is reported overdue. The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat air base in Assam and was last in contact at 7:42 pm,” Rawat said in a statement.

Indian Air Force (IAF) said that both officers sustained fatal injuries in the crash. In a statement, it said: “The IAF acknowledges the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash. All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”

Su‑30MKI is a long‑range, twin‑seat multirole fighter originally developed by the Russian manufacturer Sukhoi and now produced under licence by HAL for the Indian Air Force, which operates more than 260 of these jets.

The fleet has seen a few accidents in recent years, including a crash in Maharashtra’s Nashik district in June 2024 and another in January 2023 shortly after take‑off from the Gwalior airbase.

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Known by its NATO codename “Flanker,” it is powered by two AL‑31FP turbofan engines and is capable of speeds exceeding Mach 2 at high altitude. The IAF inducted its first Russian‑built Su‑30MKI in 2002, followed by India‑assembled units from 2004 onward, and now operates around 260 of them.

The jet is valued for its long range and endurance: it can fly about 3,000 km on internal fuel, extend to roughly 5,200 km with refuelling, and remain airborne for nearly 10 hours with a single mid‑air refuelling.

It carries a 30 mm GSh‑30‑1 cannon and up to 8 tonnes of external weapons across 12 hardpoints, including air‑to‑surface missiles such as the Kh‑29, Kh‑31, Kh‑59M, and India’s Nirbhay cruise missile. Su‑30MKIs also provided air‑defence cover during Operation Sindoor in 2025.