NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
The flight of the American helicopter, which triggered a controversy after reports said it had entered airspace over Madras, was 'conducted entirely' on international airspace, Admiral Dennis Blair, Chief of US Pacific Command, said on Friday.
In his first official reaction to the episode, Blair also said the chopper, which took off from the US warship USS John Young and returned to its deck, had 'not flown over any Indian facility'.
Media reports had said that it had carried out a survey of the Kalpakkam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu.
The ship, on a port visit to Madras, was outside the Indian territorial waters and the helicopter returned when it was still on those waters, he said.
"There was a misunderstanding on the procedure to be followed, but this is a kind of activity (a chopper flying before a ship docks at a port) is routine," he said.
"We are talking to our Indian colleagues to understand the procedures because we are looking forward to more port visits by our ships," Blair said.
The Pacific Command Chief said he had received reports from the warship on the episode and 'I have given orders to all units under me to follow international flight rules'.
Top Indian government sources had said on Wednesday that the chopper had not violated any law, as the ship from which it had taken off was about 50 nautical miles away from Indian territorial waters.
Tell us what you think of this report
Call India
