Missing AN-32 aircraft: Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft undertakes search missions

Massive efforts are on to locate the AN-32 transport aircraft by the Air Force deploying navy's P-8I aircraft and Global 5000 surveillance aircraft along with NTRO satellites on the fifth day since it went missing from the skies of Arunachal Pradesh.

The P-8I aircraft undertook a search mission from INS Rajali, Arakonnam, Tamil Nadu, this morning to locate the missing AN-32 aircraft. It is equipped with special radars and sensors. Earlier too, the aircraft had carried search missions to locate the plane.

Global 5000 surveillance aircraft belongs to the fleet of jets with the Aviation Research Centre. "With their specialist sensors, they can help in getting better imagery on the ground," said government sources aware of the matter.

"Search for AN-32: P-8I of Indian Navy undertook a search mission from Arakonnam this morning. Helicopters, transport aircraft, UAVs and other sensors are involved in extensive search whenever weather is permitting," the IAF said in a tweet.

The search operation is being coordinated and supervised by senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command at Along.

"All electronic, radar, optical and infrared sensors including satellites are being employed to scan the area for any probable clues. IndianArmy, Police, State Govt, Paramilitary Forces and local population are lending crucial support in the search," Air Force said.

The search missions have been severely hampered due to bad weather conditions.

Air Force said that it is regular touch with the families of missing air-warriors.

"IAF is in regular touch with families of missing air-warriors. All possible assistance is being provided to them. Some family members met Hon'ble RM on 6 June and were briefed about the search efforts. AOC-in-C, EAC, Air Mshl RD Mathur had earlier met the families at Jorhat," IAF tweeted.

Asserting that it is not sparing any effort to locate the missing air-warriors, the Air Force said, "IAF is not sparing any efforts in locating the missing air-warriors. We stand in support of the families in these difficult times."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is said to have pulled all stops and is getting regular updates on the ongoing search and rescue operations. He is said to have instructed the use of all possible resources to locate the missing aircraft and its occupants. The AN-32 aircraft went missing on June 3 in Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian Army on Thursday deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for search. The IAF had also said that Cheetah choppers have been deployed in the search operations.

On the other hand family members of Ashish Tanwar, the pilot of IAF AN 32 aircraft, met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence here on Thursday.

The search operations for the plane entered the fifth day on Friday. Bad weather conditions on Wednesday had put a halt to the search operations by helicopters, however, two Sukhoi-30 MKI combat jets and one C 130J aircraft carried out night missions to locate the plane.

The AN-32 aircraft with 13 IAF personnel onboard had taken off from Assam's Jorhat on June 3 and was headed for Mechuka Advance Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh when it lost contact with ground authorities at around 1300 hours on Monday afternoon.

( With inputs from ANI )