Mirage-Sukhoi crash: A brief history of IAF fighter jets that collided in MP's Morena

Two well-noted fighters of the Indian Air Force, a Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 crashed in Madhya Pradesh's Morena during a training exercise. Preliminary reports suggest a mid-air collision to be responsible for the crash. The Mirage 2000 in concern was being flown by a lone pilot while the Sukhoi Su-30 had one pilot and a co-pilot. According to the IAF statement regarding the crash, one of the pilots involved received fatal injuries. The statement added that a court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts behind the incident.

Both Su-30 fighters as well as the Mirage 2000s have seen extensive utilisation by the Indian Air Force in various military campaigns and operations. Notably, the Mirage 2000 has been in service since 1985, with the first batch of seven fighters being delivered by France to the Indian Air Force No. 7 Squadron (Aka: The Battleaxes). Meanwhile, the Sukhoi Su-30 was inducted into service much later. The first batch of eight Su-30Ks fighters was delivered to India’s Lohegaon Air Force Base by Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau.  

Mirage 2000: Historic Significance and notable operations

A single-engine, multirole, fourth-generation jet fighter, the Mirage 2000 was manufactured by France’s Dassault Aviation in the late 1970s. India’s acquisition bid of the Mirage 2000 was a military necessity to counter Pakistan’s purchase of the F-16A/B fighters. Following the first delivery of the aircraft in 1985, the final two aircraft were delivered in 1994 bringing the total strength of Mirage 2000s in the IAF to 45.

Image: Twitter/@IAF_MCC (A Mirage 2000 fighter)

In 1995, the Mirage 2000 fighters were equipped with US Paveway-2 Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) kits which enabled them to drop laser-guided bombs in addition to conventional unguided bombs. Notably, amidst the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan, the Indian Air Forces were ordered to provide air support to the Indian Army under Operation Safed Sagar. The IAF Mirage 2000, which was the most advanced combat jet in the IAF at the time, flew its first sortie on May 30. The objectives accomplished by Mirage 2000s in the 2-month-long Kargil war led it to be dubbed the game changer.

Image: Twitter/@IAF_MCC (Mirage 2000's Specifications)

Furthermore, amid the 2001- 2002 Indo-Pak standoff, Indian Air Force used the Mirage 2000s to destroy Pakistani bunkers with precision-guided bombs. To add to its glorious service, the Mirage 2000s equipped with Israeli Spice 2000 bombs were also used to strike Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Pakistan’s Balakot in February 2019.  

Su-30: Historic Significance and notable operations

Classified as a supermanoeuvrable fighter aircraft, the Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seater developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. The multirole aircraft is capable of undertaking missions in all-weather scenarios and is meant for air-to-air and air interdiction missions. After the initial deliveries of Su-30 fighters by Russia, a contract worth up to USD 3 billion was signed under the Russian-Indian cooperation on December 28, 2000. Under the contract, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received the licence for the production of 140 Su-30MKI fighters at the HAL production plant in Nashik. This marked a significant step toward the nation’s bid to become self-reliant in defence manufacturing and production. From 2004 onwards, production of the Su-30s is carried by HAL.

Image: Twitter/@IAF_MCC (A Su-30MKI taking off)

The advanced version of the original Su-30, the Su-30MKI has been utilised by the Indian Air Force on numerous occasions. The Su-30MKIs have established their mettle in various multilateral aerial exercises. In October 2006, British Royal Air Force (RAD) Air Vice Marshal Christopher Harper praised Su-30MKI's dogfighting ability, and described the aircraft as being "absolutely masterful in dogfights".  

Notably, four Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs escorted Mirage 2000s on 26 February 2019 during the Balakot airstrike. In a retaliatory strike by Pakistan, two Su-30MKIs on combat air patrol were attacked on February 27, 2019 by multiple Pakistani F-16s. However, the AMRAAM missiles fired by the F-16 were successfully dodged by the Su-30MKIs.