MH370: Indian aircraft join search

Two long range maritime reconnaissance aircrafts from India have departed the Subang Airport on Sunday to join in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean.

This was despite reported bad weather caused by tropical cyclone Gilian which had forced a number of other aircrafts scheduled to go on the mission to be cancelled.

The High Commission of India to Malaysia on Sunday said that both aircrafts were likely to encounter the cyclonic conditions enroute, but Captains of both aircrafts had instead "decided to skirt bad weather areas" to reach the search sectors.

The two aircrafts were the P8-I of the Indian Navy and the C-130J of the Indian Air Force. Both wre expected to undertake a 10-hour mission in the area.

“Both aircrafts have long endurance capabilities coupled with state of the art electro optronic and infra red search and reconnaissance equipment on board,” said the high commission in a statement here.

The P8-I aircraft has the added advantage of on-board radars and specially designed search and rescue kits.

Indian aircraft

Indian Navy aircraft P8I and its crew with Indian Defence Adviser Col. Praveen Chhabra

Previously, the Prime Minister of India had committed to assisting Malaysia and “render all possible assistance to Malaysia in locating the missing Malaysian Airlines flight”.

Both aircrafts arrived in Malaysia on March 21. After extensive briefings in Malaysia on Sunday, both Indian aircrafts took off to be part of the Australian-led search on Sunday morning.

India has been participating in the search and rescue operation beginning March 11 in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.