Indian Air Force will deploy a squadron of Sukhoi SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft along Pakistani border at the Jodhpur airbase in the Rajasthan desert, an Indian newspaper reported on Saturday. The newspaper "Outlook" said the squadron of air Sukhois would be operational at the strategically vital Jodhpur airbase by the first week of November, adding that the border will be just a two-minute flight away from Jodhpur.
It is the first Sukhoi-30 squadron to be deployed anywhere in the Western sector, while the second squadron along the Western sector will be raised in Halwara, East Punjab. Till now, the Sukhois have been deployed in six squadrons. They are stationed in the Eastern sector in Tejpur and Chabua, Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and at its home base at Lohegaon in Pune. The IAF is planning to induct a total of 272 Sukhois from Russia by 2017. The twin-engined Russian-origin Sukhois are now produced under licence at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore in India.