Massive search operation underway to trace YSR's chopper
From remote sensing satellites, IAF's Sukhoi-30 jet and military helicopters to special commandos and army soldiers a mission of a huge magnitude was underway on Wednesday night to trace the missing helicopter with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on board.
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And no possible rescue tool was left out with local villagers even provided with torches as the search covered six districts most of it in Nallamala forests that used to be dominated by Naxals. Tribal teams, forest and revenue officials were also scouring the area.
ISRO's Radar Imaging Satellite had been pressed into service and will click photographs of a area on the route of the helicopter while the IAF pressed into service a Su-30MKI fighter aircraft with synthetic aperture radar for high-resolution ground mapping.
The radar of the Sukhoi aircraft which can sweep the six districts in a jiffy can help in finding out if anything is amiss. And two mid-air refuelling aircraft will be in service so that the Sukhoi does not have to go their base.
The air-to-air refuelling will help the Sukhoi to continue its search for longer hours as the aircraft is capable of operating day and night. The Sukhois have an endurance level of three to four hours of continuous flying, but it could be enhanced to about 10 hours at a stretch with refuelling.
Several boats were also scouring River Krishna. Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy said the state government is also trying to seek help of the US Defence department to have real-time satellite imagery of the area where the Bell-430 helicopter went missing.
Eleven choopers including four from the IAF were also pressed into service. The Indian Army has deployed over 250 personnel with night vision devices to carry out search operations in the Nallamala forest area.
Massive search operation underway to trace YSR's chopper- Hindustan Times