The disappearance of the IAF transport aircraft over the Bay of Bengal on a flight to the Andaman Islands could turn into a tragedy for the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard personnel on board if the rescue efforts do not bear fruit. With no debris in sight yet on Saturday, there was hope yet of miraculous survival and the search circle, involving planes, ships and a submarine, has been widened to cover parts of the Indian Ocean too. However, most recent experiences with aircraft going off the radar while flying over the sea have proved to be exasperating hunts for a needle in a haystack. In fact, the announcement that the three-nation (Malaysia, Australia and China) search for Flight MH370, which went mysteriously off course on March 8, 2014, has been virtually given up after scanning around 1,10,000 sq. km of ocean and spending around Rs 900 crore.
The Antonov-32 has been the workhorse of the IAF, serving in remote places and boasting a very good aviation record since this is only the third possible mishap reported in about 32 years of operations, the previous two having occurred seven years ago. This particular aircraft was, however, somewhat suspect as three faults had been reported in July alone. But, being an aircraft upgraded recently in trouble-torn Ukraine, which is in conflict with Russia, where planes of this “bullock cart” fleet have to go for refitting, the IAF may have been betting on its airworthiness to send it on the long haul to the Andamans, a strategic tri-services base of immense importance to India. Notwithstanding the financial difficulties of replacing ageing fleets and the bureaucratic tangles involved in selection, it stands to reason that the more remote the areas served, the more efficient must be the fleet.
23/07/16 Deccan Chronicle
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
The Antonov-32 has been the workhorse of the IAF, serving in remote places and boasting a very good aviation record since this is only the third possible mishap reported in about 32 years of operations, the previous two having occurred seven years ago. This particular aircraft was, however, somewhat suspect as three faults had been reported in July alone. But, being an aircraft upgraded recently in trouble-torn Ukraine, which is in conflict with Russia, where planes of this “bullock cart” fleet have to go for refitting, the IAF may have been betting on its airworthiness to send it on the long haul to the Andamans, a strategic tri-services base of immense importance to India. Notwithstanding the financial difficulties of replacing ageing fleets and the bureaucratic tangles involved in selection, it stands to reason that the more remote the areas served, the more efficient must be the fleet.
23/07/16 Deccan Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment