New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has denied grounding the fleet of Sukhoi-30 MKI.
There were reports that the Indian Air Force had grounded its fleet and summoned experts from Russia to re-examine the aircraft.
The aircraft haven't been flown since April 30th. A Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft crashed in the Pokharan region of Rajasthan after taking off from Pune during its routine sortie.
The pilot of the plane was killed in the accident. The IAF is now carrying out precautionary checks to rule out any structural, mechanical or engineering defect.
India currently has three squadrons of the Su-30 MKI - two at Pune and one at Bareilly - while two more are in the process of being raised.
The MKI variant of the Su-30 was inducted in 2002 and the fighters have had an impeccable safety record.
IAF has said that a fleet is grounded only if a specific defect is identified and needs to be remedied. It is generally done on the recommendation of the manufacturer of the aircraft, and in this case, no defect has been noticed in the Su-30 MKI fleet.
The SU-30 has had a flawless, crash-free record for 12 years in the IAF before the April 30 accident.
Why is the Sukhoi so important for the Indian Air Force
- The Sukhoi-31 MKI is the most advanced version of the fighter.
- Sukhoi Jets can carry nuclear weapons.
- Sukhoi 30 MKIs were ushered into squadron service in 2002.
- Sukhoi is jointly developed by Russia's Sukhoi Corporation and India's Hindusthan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
- Russia and India signed a 1.4 billion dollar deal in 1996 for the purchase of the Sukhoi aircraft fleet.
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