US Air Force flight to Antarctica returns after Russian missile launch warning
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US Air Force flight to Antarctica returns after Russian missile launch warning")
A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster at Antarctica Photograph: (AFP)
A US Air Force flight to Antarctica returned to New Zealand after Russia warned of a potentially hazardous missile launch activity over a vast area of airspace.
A US Air Force flight bound for Antarctica returned to New Zealand after a warning about a "potentially hazardous” space activity. Russia's State Air Traffic Management Corporation notified New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) about a planned missile launch and issued a NOTAM establishing a temporary danger area.
The military aircraft C-17 Globemaster, operating under the call sign ICE28, departed Christchurch Airport around 9.00 am local time. It was headed south for the US Antarctic research base McMurdo Station and New Zealand’s Scott Base in Antarctica as part of the annual Winter Fly-In (WINFLY) operations to transport personnel and equipment.
New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority claimed that the warning established a danger zone of massive 30-million-square-kilometre airspace, a section of the Auckland Oceanic Flight Information Region.
“We put in place a danger area and issued a NOTAM to alert aircraft operators to the potential hazard. This does not prevent aircraft from flying through the area; operators make their decisions based on the information available,” CAA said Wednesday.
“Much of our Oceanic FIR is over international waters, where we have limited control over activities,” it added, referring to Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea airspace where it is responsible for aircraft flying at certain altitudes.
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Fake missile test warning?
Russia has not confirmed testing any ballistic missiles in connection with this specific incident. The New Zealand government has asked for more information about the launch. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the information Russia provided was unclear. Analysts suggest that this is a deliberate political signal for intimidation or a show of force, as there is no international law specifically regulating submarines conducting missile launches in international waters. The specific Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM NZZO B3996/26) issued regarding the hazard remains active until August 27.
