Su-30MKI combat jets to patrol north-eastern region from next week

Tezpur: With verbal duels between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh only now beginning to subside, the Indian Air Force has upped the ante in the region for those with hostile intent by ensuring that state-of-the-art Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets will now start patrolling the skies in this part of the country. The aircraft go operational from next week. 

According to defence officials, a half-dozen of these aircraft had now arrived at the upgraded Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam a few days ago, and a squadron strength is expected to be in place by the end of the year.

Officials indicated that flight training and operational sorties are likely to begin by early next week, and work to make this possible was afoot.

They also indicated that a full squadron of Su-30MKI fighter jets would be deployed at the Chabua Air Force Station in eastern Assam and another squadron likely to be stationed at the Bagdogra Air Force Station in West Bengal.

The Su-30MKIs had been formally inducted at Tezpur on 15 June. Since then, the air base has also been opened for civil aviation. It will be more than a year since a fighter aircraft has operated from the airbase. The air base previously operated the MiG series aircraft.

The Su-30MKI multi-role jets have a combat radius of 1,500 km, which can be enhanced through aerial refuelling.