A special team of the Indian Navy, equipped with high-end gadgets, is in the final phase of the search to locate the missing pilot and co-pilot, whose helicopter crashed and sank into the Ranjit Sagar Dam on August 3 in Jammu, the Army said on Tuesday.
“The Indian Army is coordinating the efforts of the Indian Navy deep divers team consisting of two Officers, four JCOs and 24 other ranks,” an Army spokesman said.
He said multi-beam sonars, side scanners, remotely operated vehicles and underwater manipulators flown in from Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi have already been pressed into action at the crash site.
The Army said a small area of 60 m by 60 m had been localised and special sonar equipment flown in from Kochi is being employed in the final phase of the search.
This deep underwater operation is especially challenging due to the near zero visibility below 50 m owing to the colloidal nature of water in this season, which adversely impacts accuracy of sonars and other sensors, the Army said.
“The search operation continues unabated in spite of bad weather and rain. The expertise and equipment of the Army, Navy, IAF, NDRF, SDRF, NGOs, State police, dam authority and private firms from all over the country has been in action,” the Army said.