India helps in search for Malaysian jetliner [ 15 March ]

*. India joined the multination search for the Malaysian Airlines plane, deploying three ships and as many aircraft in the seas east of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the base of its tri-services command.

The decision came after Defence Minister A. K. Antony gave the green signal for conducting a search in an area close to Myanmar and Malaysia, the officials said.

*. Malaysia requested India to join the search after planes and ships of at least 10 countries were unable to locate the aircraft in the seas to the west of the Strait of Malacca. India is the dominant naval power in the seas to the east of the Strait, the busiest shipping channel in the world.

Now search operations are being conducted in an area of 90,000 sq. km, about the size of Punjab and Haryana combined.