Malaysia Airlines MH370 search: India to deploy P-8I, C-130J planes
New Delhi: India’s operation to search the missing Malaysian airliner will go beyond its maritime zone on Friday when it will deploy two aircraft including the P-8I and the C-130J planes in Malaysia.
India has been part of international operations to locate the plane which has been missing for around two weeks now after taking off from Kuala Lumpur but the area being scoured is limited so far to the Indian waters.
“One P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft along with one IAF C-130J aircraft are being deployed to Malaysia. These aircraft would be joining the International Search Force by Friday noon,” a Navy release said.
The search for the missing aircraft has shifted to the Indian Ocean Region 5,000 km south of Jakarta and the operations to search the area had resumed on Wednesday.
The force has also deployed four warships INS Satpura, Sahyadri, Saryu and Batti Malv in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea and West of Andaman Islands.
“In coordination of the surface search by ships, extensive air searches are also being conducted. One P-8I with Electro Optics/Infra Red pods, one C 130J Hercules aircraft (of Indian Air Force) and one Dornier aircraft are undertaking searches in the area,” the Navy said.
The navy said Indian forces are in continuous touch with the Royal Malaysian Navy and Air Force from its Maritime Operations Centre at Navy headquarters and all possible help is being rendered towards search and rescue operations for MH 370.
Regional politics is playing a HUGE part in the search for this airplane, and it’s been a huge obstruction.
No one trusts anyone, and no one wants to give away military secrets (or the lack of them) to help.