Panaji: Indian Navy has asked the coastal
residents in Goa not to get worried as that they might hear
large noise of super sonic boom as MiG-29K supersonic flights
were practicing off the coast.
Indian Navy Public Relation Officer (PRO) Cdr M C Joshi
has said that the residents may hear sonic boom sounds and
they need not panic as it is associated with the training of
MiG-29K aircrafts, which is happening off Goa coast.
The defence official said that without disturbing the
resident population of Goa, MiG-29K pilots at INS Hansa will
fly all flights involving supersonic profiles deep into the
sea and at very high altitudes.
"However, there is still a possibility that sonic booms
could be heard by the local population and our fishing
communities from time to time," he added.
In February this year, the residents had panicked after
three loud sounds were heard in the sea.
The state government had initiated inquiry into the cause
of the sound and later had found out that the noise was
related to MiG-29K.
The PRO has said that the MiG-29K is an advanced
multirole fourth generation Air Superiority Fighter at present
being operated from the Indian Navy's premier naval air
station INS Hansa at Dabolim.
This aircraft has the capability to go supersonic at
almost twice the speed of sound, in order to overtake enemy
fighters and shoot them down. "Supersonic flights are associated with 'sonic booms'.
A sonic boom is a sound which is similar to a loud explosion
generated by the shock waves formed on the airplane in
supersonic flight," he said.
In certain atmospheric conditions, sonic booms from a
supersonic aircraft may reach distances as far as 20 to 40
kilometers," he said.
Joshi said that the ability to fly at supersonic speed is
of great advantage to a fighter pilot in a combat situation
and it is therefore important that supersonic flying is
practiced to maintain a high level of operational readiness.
He said that the booms are absolutely harmless to life,
health and property.
Supersonic flights have been undertaken by the IAF all
over the country since the 1970s and are an absolutely normal
part of fighter training.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, September 07, 2010, 18:44