A U.S. Air Force plane en route to Antarctica turned back after a warning about a hazardous zone related to Russia’s planned missile launch.
U.S. aircraft (illustrative photo) / © wikimedia.org
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft, traveling from New Zealand to Antarctica, had to divert its course due to a notification about potentially dangerous activity associated with a planned Russian missile launch.
The publication The Hill reported on this matter.
The aircraft, with the call sign ICE28, departed from Christchurch on Tuesday around 9:00 AM local time but returned less than three hours later.
The reason for the return was a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) aviation alert, which the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority disseminated to pilots due to a possible hazard in international airspace.
As stated by the authority, the New Zealand side was initially informed of “potentially hazardous activity,” which was later clarified to be a warning from Russia about an intended missile launch.
“Russian air traffic control informed us of a planned missile launch and the associated potential hazard to international airspace,” stated the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority.
This pertains to the oceanic flight information region for which New Zealand is responsible. It encompasses approximately 30 million square kilometers, primarily over international waters of the South Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and the Tasman Sea.
New Zealand authorities identified the hazardous zone and issued a corresponding alert for aviation. However, the NOTAM did not prohibit flights in this area; the final decision rested with the aircraft operators.
The C-17 flight was part of the U.S. Air Force’s winter program of flights to Antarctica. Such aircraft transport researchers and necessary equipment annually between Christchurch and American and New Zealand Antarctic bases before the commencement of the summer research season.
As a reminder, on the night of August 20th, Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv and the Kyiv region with dozens of ballistic missiles, attack drones, and Kalibr cruise missiles. Numerous explosions were heard in Kyiv, resulting in 12 fatalities and over 30 injuries, with fires breaking out in the capital and the Kyiv region.
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