The search and rescue operation for the missing AN 32 aircraft entered its fifth day today even as hopes of finding alive the 29 defence personnel on board receded as all leads till now have turned out to be bad.
"A lot of resources are in place. All leads till now have turned out to be bad. We are trying to concentrate on some links or sound which has emitted from some area. Trying to find out, that needs to be ascertained but there were some false leads but false leads of similar type," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said here today.
He said that a state of art ice-class research vessel, Sagar Nidhi, of the National Institute of Ocean Technology has been called for from Mauritius.
"That will reach but any deep vessel to operate, it will need specific area.
"Because deep vessels which go inside cannot go and search per se unless you have some definite small area. So last time (Doriner crash), submarine had identified the location and then we had send it (deep sea vessel of Reliance). It is a secondary operation after initial identification," Parrikar said.
Sagar Nidhi comes with Dynamic Positioning System which keeps its position stable, which is required for oceanographic research.
It has a huge deck area for deploying ROV/Manned submersibles/ Tsunami monitoring system.
Gondola arrangement is also made for precision acoustic measurements. Drop Keel facility is made to fit any underwater transducers without dry docking the vessel.
One separate lab is designed and installed with integrated survey systems with modern scientific survey equipments like single and multi beam echo sounder for shallow and deep waters, sub bottom profiler, acoustic current profiler.
Parrikar also refuted claims of a senior Coast Guard official who said that the the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) had not functioned during the Dornier crash also.
"I think the submarine finally located the Dornier with the same beeps. Initially sound might not have come due to depth of water but when the submarine went in there, they identified the location. Can't say whether it is operating or not now but we have not been able to hear it," he said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Air Force said the reason of the incident is too early to be ascertained but indicated that weather could have played a role.
"The weather was bad but the pilot had taken the required steps," a senior source said.
Meanwhile, asked about Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's comment that process to revoke AFSPA must start on experimental basis, Parrikar said the call has to be taken by the Home Ministry.
"I think Home Ministry need to take a call on it. We only operate. As of now we are operating only in the border and counter insurgency grid. We do not operate in the normal sphere of state's law and order," Parrikar said.
He said that as far as Army is concerned, it has ensured that border remains sealed and no infiltration bid is successful.
"We are doing our job properly," he said.
