New Zealand Seeks Details After U.S. Air Force Flight Turns Back to Christchurch
New Zealand officials sought more details after the Civil Aviation Authority warned of possible debris from Russian aerospace activity, prompting the flight to divert.
- On Tuesday, a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster with call sign ICE28 aborted its flight to Antarctica and returned to Christchurch Airport after two hours and 27 minutes in the air.
- The Russian State Air Traffic Management Corporation notified the Civil Aviation Authority of a planned missile launch and associated potential hazard to international airspace within New Zealand's Oceanic Flight Information Region.
- Turnarounds during the annual Winter Flight Period are known as 'boomerangs,' and a 43-person Scott Base crew experienced two such turnarounds in 2023 before reaching Antarctica on their third attempt.
- Foreign Minister Winston Peters is following the issue closely, while the Civil Aviation Authority advised operators to 'make their decisions based on the information available.'
- The United States Air Force has yet to release an official statement, and details of the Russian notice remain unclear despite precedent: in November 2022, a Chinese Long March 5B rocket core stage fell over Spain, prompting multiple airspace closures.
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39 Articles
Military Times
Defense NewsUS Air Force flight to Antarctica turns back after Russian hazardous space activity warning
A U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III taking off from Christchurch, New Zealand, returned after receiving a “potentially hazardous” space activity notice.
Russia's missile threat forces US Air Force plane to cancel Antarctica visit
A mysterious aerospace activity by Russians forced a U.S. Air Force’s plane to Antarctica to turn back, according to a report. The C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft was on its way to Antarctica when the Russian Air Traffic Management Corporation issued an advisory. The notice advised of “space activity, potentially hazardous to aviation en route to Antarctica”.The American C-17 Globemaster aircraft took off from New Zealand’s Christchurch on A…
A mysterious incident over the southern Indian Ocean forced a U.S. Air Force aircraft to turn around due to an unidentified danger in space.
Mystery Russian “Space Hazard” Warning Forces U.S. Air Force Flight to Turn Back from Antarctica
C-17 Globemaster III undergoing maintenance in Christchurch, NZ (Public Domain) Welcome to this edition of The Intelligence Brief… This week, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster bound for Antarctica was forced to return to New Zealand after its crew received a warning of a “potentially hazardous” space-related activity reportedly involving a planned Russian missile launch. In our analysis, we’ll be looking at 1) how a Russian air traffic managemen…
A U.S. military aircraft on its way to Antarctica has had to abort its flight surprisingly. The trigger was a warning against a Russian project.
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