U.S. military transport aircraft lands in Delhi

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 28. An American military transport aircraft landed at the Palam Air Force base here today. Though officials were willing to confirm the news, no one was prepared to speculate on the mission.

The Hercules C-130 plane is described as useful for airlifting in rough terrain and is a prime transport used by the U.S. Armed Forces for air-dropping troops. The plane arrived at the Palam `permanent air base' of IAF at 12.30 p.m. from Paylebar near Singapore and left for an `undisclosed destination' three hours later.

This is the first time in 10 years, after the Gulf War of 1991, that an American military aircraft has landed in India amid speculation whether it was a dry run for refuelling operations prior to possible strikes on Afghanistan. But some official sources suggested that it landed on the request of the U.S. Government to bring in reinforcements for their Embassy here.

Senior Defence Ministry sources said the aircraft's arrival was ``nothing new or startling''. A request to this effect was understood to have been made by the American Embassy a few days ago. The aircraft was extended landing facilities under the `Air Mobilisation Command Movement' that provides for semi-automatic overflight and landing rights to military aircraft of friendly countries. The permission was given in accordance with the well- laid down procedures of the Ministries of External Affairs and Defence, they suggested. ``This is a normal drill. There may be nothing extraordinary about refuelling, if it took place.''

The `Air Mobilisation Command Movement' is given when military assets of a friendly Government have to be shifted from one theatre to another. Official sources declined to comment on the destination of the aircraft on grounds that its arrival and departure had been accorded ``a very high security grading''.

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