GUWAHATI: Four days have elapsed but there has been no breakthrough in the ongoing search being carried out by multiple agencies for the missing AN-32 aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF).
According to defence sources, a P-8I aircraft of Indian Navy, helicopters, transport aircraft, UAVs and other sensors have been involved in the extensive search mission. They said the search area continued to expand to look at all possibilities.
All electronic, radar, optical and infrared sensors, including satellites, have been employed to scan the area for any probable clues, they said.
“Indian Army, police, Arunachal Pradesh government, paramilitary forces and local population are lending crucial support in the search operations. Army search parties have been in the area for over two days going through thick forest trying to locate the aircraft. Senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command is coordinating and supervising search operations,” IAF spokesman Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh told this newspaper.
He said the IAF had been in regular touch with the families of the missing air warriors. He said all possible assistance was being provided to the families.
“The IAF is not sparing any effort in locating the missing air warriors. We stand in support of the families in these difficult times,” he said.
The aircraft, which was flying to Mechuka near the China border in Arunachal with 13 IAF personnel on board, was reported missing 33 minutes since it took off from the IAF’s air base in Assam’s Jorhat on Junre 3rd.