A Georgian AN-12 Aircraft From Karachi was Forced To Land At Jaipur By Indian Air Force

 An unknown aircraft entered Indian Air Space in North Gujarat Sector at 1515 hrs with its IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) ‘on’. According to the Air Force Group Captain Anupam Banerjee, aircraft did not follow the authorized Air Traffic Services (ATS) route and was not responding to Radio calls from Indian controlling agencies. 

Since ATS routes in  the area were closed due to the current geopolitical situation, and the aircraft entered Indian Air Space from an unscheduled point, the Air Defence interceptor on operational readiness was scrambled and vectored towards the unknown aircraft for investigation. As per the information from Indian Air Force, on visual contact, the aircraft was identified as Georgian An-12 flying at twenty seven thousand feet. 

The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union and used in cargo delivery. India's airspace  has recently been at the alert after the Pulwama terrorist attack by Pakistan based JeM and the subsequent aerial fight at the LOC.

The aircraft neither responded on international distress frequency nor to visual signals during interception. However, when challenged, the aircraft responded and informed that it was a non scheduled An-12 aircraft that had got airborne from Tbilisi (Georgia) for Delhi via Karachi. The aircraft was shadowed and forced to land at Jaipur for necessary investigation.