MUMBAI: Indian NavyThe operation to locate the second pilot of the MiG-29K trainer that left Goa on November 26 continued with an extensive deployment of ships and planes, a naval spokesman said on Monday.
An intensive air, coastal and surface search is being conducted by Indian Navy ships and aircraft to locate the second pilot, Cdr Nishant Singh, according to a defense statement.
“An underwater search by divers and a mapping of the seabed using specialized equipment is being carried out in the vicinity of the primary wreckage of the MiG-29K,” he said.
The Navy said Sunday that some debris from the aircraft had been located, including the landing gear, turbocharger, fuel tank engine and wing engine cover.
The Russian-origin plane had taken off from the INS Vikramaditya carrier and fell around 5 p.m. Thursday, authorities said, adding that a pilot of the plane had been rescued.
The MiG-29K is an all-weather, carrier-based multi-role fighter jet developed by the Russian aerospace company Mikoyan (MiG). The Indian Navy had acquired a fleet of 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia More than a decade ago at a cost of around USD 2 billion to operate from INS Vikramaditya.
INS Vikramaditya was part of the second phase of the Malabar exercise that involved the navies of India, USA, Australia and Japan.
The MIG-29K fleet aboard the aircraft carrier also participated in the naval mega drill that took place from 17 to 20 November.
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