Indian Navy’s maritime surveillance aircraft to join search for MH370

Visakhapatnam: Indian Navy’s P -81 along with IAF’s C -130 J aircraft will join the International Search Force, to trace the missing Malaysian airliner MH 370, on Friday afternoon. The P- 81 is a Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft.

The Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 above the Gulf of Thailand en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Indian Navy has already 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 (EO/IR) pods, a C 130J Hercules aircraft (of Indian Air Force) and a Dornier aircraft are undertaking searches in the area,” said Eastern Naval Command (ENC) sources at Vizag.

The ENC sources further added that the Indian forces are in continuous touch with the Royal Malaysian Navy and Air Force from its Maritime Operations Centre at New Delhi and all possible help is being rendered towards search and rescue operations for MH 370.