India intercepts Air France plane

[samiullahawan]

India scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to intercept an Air France passenger plane after it failed to identify itself correctly, the Indian air force says.

The Bangkok-bound flight from Paris had entered Indian airspace from Pakistan.

The pilot had used the wrong Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) code, which allows ground radars to differentiate between friendly and enemy aircraft.

The MiG was told to "break off and return to base" when the correct code was given, an air force official said.

Flight Lt Priya Joshi also told the AFP news agency that a report had been filed with India's civil aviation authorities over the incident.

The Air France Airbus-343 had entered India above Amritsar, in the north-west of the country, early on Thursday morning.

The Indian air force has stepped up security along the border with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 170 people.

Source:BBC NEWS | South Asia | India intercepts Air France plane

 

[ironman]

What is so funny about it ?

 

[xebex]

Passenger aircraft with wrong code creates security scare

NEW DELHI: Maintaining a vigil against any attempt by a terrorist outfit to use planes as missiles akin to the 9/11 strikes in US, IAF scrambled two
MiG-29 fighter jets to intercept an "unidentified aircraft'' over Amritsar after it entered Indian airspace from Pakistan on Thursday morning.

But as things turned out later, the suspicious aircraft was an Air France passenger airliner on way to Bangkok from Paris, which had a wrong IFF (identification friendly or foe) code switched on. IFF codes help ground-based radars to automatically differentiate between friendly and enemy aircraft.

The episode began about 6.10 am when the aircraft, flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet southeast of Amritsar in the northern sector, was picked up by IAF air defence radars.

"The aircraft, which entered Indian airspace at the established border entry point on the ATS route, was not in communication and also the secondary radar response IFF code, or the `squawk' code, was not correct,'' said an official.

The aircraft was promptly identified as "unknown'' and the two MiG-29 air defence fighters were scrambled from the Pathankot airbase, which maintains round-the-clock "operational readiness platform'' like other airbases on the western front, to intercept and investigate its identity.

"It was only later that the aircraft started transmitting the correct secondary radar response code. It was then picked up and identified by the air defence radars as a civil airliner (Airbus A-343) of Air France (AFR-164). The MiG-29s were then directed to break off and return to base,'' said the official.

Ever since the 26/11 strikes in Mumbai, a heightened state of vigil is in place to thwart any bid by terror outfits to use the aerial route for their nefarious designs.

Incidentally, India's hard-nosed anti-hijack policy, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in August 2005, allows a "hostile'' plane to be shot down if there is conclusive evidence of it being used as a "missile'' to hit "strategic targets''.

Passenger aircraft with wrong code creates security scare - India - NEWS - The Times of India

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India is not a banana country to sit down and watch when an unidentified aircraft fly through its territory especially when it enters from Pakistan. Next time they wont forget to setup the IFF code straight.

 

[ahmeddsid]

I am very happy to see that India has taken its security in a very serious manner! This is a serious matter, what if the Plane was hijacked from another route and being flown into India?? The IAF did an awesome job intercepting, Kudos for the prompt response!

 

[AnGrz_Z_K_Jailer]

I am very happy to see that India has taken its security in a very serious manner! This is a serious matter, what if the Plane was hijacked from another route and being flown into India?? The IAF did an awesome job intercepting, Kudos for the prompt response!

Welcome back Bro Ahmed .... I really a big fan of your post. most of the time its work like eye opner ... Its almost more than 3 months you're posting your comments ... Anyway welcome back with your netural analysis... Cheers ...

 

[Goodperson]

Point to be noted it Mig 29's were scrambled not Mig 21's. This does say a lot.

 

[peace123]

good job by iaf btw if the codes were worng what paf was doing when itwas over pakistan?

 

[booo]

What is so funny about it ?

+1
isnt it the standard protocol? ...to intercept unknown?

 

[Patriot]

good job by iaf btw if the codes were worng what paf was doing when itwas over pakistan?

The codes are changed when entering over different country..