US testing India's Strategic Response?

[Guest guest]

INDIA:

Air Force directs wayward US aircraft into Bombay

"This is the second intrusion by a US plane into Indian aerospace in

the past week. On Friday, a US plane flew 150 nautical miles east of

the southern city of Madras without identifying itself."

 

Att.Editors: The following item is from the Qatar News Agency (QNA)

 

 

NEW DELHI, Feb 4 (IPS) - Indian Air Force fighter jets forced a

United States airplane to land in the western city of Bombay after it

strayed from its flight path, a report said Tuesday.

 

The Indian `Express' newspaper quoted Civil Aviation Minister

Shahnawaz Hussain as saying the Boeing 757 was forced to land in

Bombay Monday because it did not have clearance for the flight path

it took.

 

The 11 people aboard the plane, belonging to the US-based Conco

Corporation, were taken into custody for interrogation, civil

aviation officials said.

 

Officials said the plane was flying from Karachi, Pakistan to Male in

the Maldives when it veered off course and headed for Jamnagar area

in the western state of Gujarat, home to several Indian defense and

security installations.

 

This is the second intrusion by a US plane into Indian aerospace in

the past week. On Friday, a US plane flew 150 nautical miles east of

the southern city of Madras without identifying itself. (END/2003)

Posted on Tue, Feb. 04, 2003

 

India Forces Cargo Plane to Land

Associated Press

 

BOMBAY, India - India deployed a MiG fighter plane to force an

American cargo plane to land in Bombay and detained the 11-member

crew for questioning.

 

The Boeing 757 was on the way from Karachi, Pakistan, to the island

nation of Maldives when it strayed from its flight path Monday,

Indian aviation officials said Tuesday.

 

The Indian air force deployed a Soviet-made MiG to force the plane

down and it landed in this west coast city about 6 p.m. Monday,

officials said.

 

Shahnawaz Hussain, India's civil aviation minister, said the plane

violated India air space by entering a flight path closed at that

time of the day, Press Trust of India said.

 

The news agency further reported Hussain as saying Pakistani air

traffic officials gave the plane wrong directions for its flight over

India.

 

Pakistan dismissed the allegation.

 

"Crew members of international flights know everything about the

routes. They are always carrying route maps. I think those who

leveled this baseless allegation were not even aware of the basics of

the aviation system," said Air Marshal Arshad Sethi, deputy managing

director of Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority.

 

All 11 crew members were American nationals, and the aircraft

belonged to U.S.-registered Comco Corp., an aviation and engineering

company, the news agency said.

 

Intelligence officials questioned the crew members for several hours

at a lounge at Bombay's Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport,

Hussain was quoted as saying.

 

American Vice Consul General Michael Cole also visited the crew

before the plane was given clearance to continue its flight to the

Maldives, Press Trust of India said.

 

The plane began its journey from the United States on Jan. 31 and

arrived at Karachi on Monday after two refueling stops, including one

at Munich, Germany, Press Times reported.

 

Press Trust said the American company planned to start a charter

service in the region and some of the crew members were on board to

familiarize themselves with the route and the communication and

navigation systems.