The IAF inducted four Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft into its Eastern Air Command in Tezpur, Assam, in the presence of Eastern Air Commander Air Marshal S.K. Bhan. Reports indicated that the induction of the aircraft at Tezpur, which will soon become a full operational base for the Sukhoi squadron, was aimed at strengthening the IAF’s abilities at the northeastern Sino-Indian border1.

• 1. “Four Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Fighter Jets Inducted in Indian Air Force,” June 15, 2009, at http://www.india-defence.com/reports-4432