Indian defense chief on aerial survey for missing military aircraft

Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday went on an aerial survey of the search and rescue operations for the Indian Air Force AN-32 carrier aircraft carrying 29 personnel, which went missing over the Bay of Bengal on Friday.

Defense spokesman Wing Commander S. S. Birdi said, it can be said with reasonable certainty that the aircraft has descended in water and it is highly possible to find survivors.

"In fact, we will not give up our search for survivors," he said.

The aircraft took off from an Indian Air Force base in Tambaram, 20 km from Chennai, capital of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, at 8: 30 a.m. local time on Friday, flying to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

After 16 minutes, the aircraft lost contact with the control tower and went missing.

According to information at the IAF air traffic control in Chennai the aircraft was flying at a height of 23,000 feet and the radar detected that it made a steep descent after a left-turn, 151 nautical miles east of Chennai.

The air force, navy and coast guard immediately launched a search and rescue operation and continued it throughout Friday night and on Saturday but nothing could be found.

A massive effort is being made as the navy and coast guard pressed 18 ships and one submarine to find any debris or survivors. Four military aircraft are conducting aerial survey over the Bay of Bengal. Endit