The Sukhoi Su-30 MKI (NATO reporting name Flanker-H) is a variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 jointly-developed by Russia's Sukhoi Corporation and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). It is an air superiority fighter which can also act as a multirole, strike fighter jet. The development of the variant started after India signed a deal with Russia in 2000 to manufacture 140 Su-30 fighter jets.The first Russian-made Su-30MKI variant was integrated into the IAF in 2002, while the first indigenous Su-30MKI entered service with the IAF in 2004. But recently the fighter gets were ground for three weeks, following an unfortunate crash.

 

And finally the  aircrafts have started flying again, nearly three weeks after they were confined to the hangars for checks following the crash.The planes took to the skies last week, an IAF officer said in New Delhi. 

 

The Unfortunate Crash

They were subjected to checks after one of the Su-30MKI crashed near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on April 30.The first-ever Sukhoi crash since the warplane's inception 12 years back, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has called for the assistance of Russian experts to carry out checks on the 60-aircraft fleet before taking them to the skies again.





After the crash -- one of the two pilots Wg Cdr M V Munje bailed out safely while Wg Cdr P S Narah was killed though he ejected out of the cockpit -- the IAF had not flown the Sukhois and ordered a probe into the mishap and precautionary checks on all the 60 aircraft from the three operational Sukhoi squadrons of the force.



The joint probe by IAF inspectors and 20 specialists from the Russian original equipment manufacturers were still in progress, the IAF officer said, adding that they would take some more time to complete their inspections and give a final report.