IAF aircraft’s sonic booms trigger panic

As reported in local English daily 'The Assam Tribune' : Correspondent JORHAT, Nov 4 - Sonic booms caused by the fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) during training exercises over the skies of Jorhat, Golaghat and Sivasagar districts on Monday morning triggered panic with residents of Majuli, Neamatighat, Amguri, Teok, Dergaon and many other rural and urban localities wondering if the thunderous bangs were the result of a “bomb blast” or a “cloud burst”. Speculation ran deep that a series of blasts had ripped through some important locations with the residents started dialling mobile numbers of local police stations and mediapersons to inform about the noises in the sky. When asked, Eastern Air Command authorities told this correspondent that it was nothing to worry about as such sounds were generally produced by some aircraft in the sky during their ongoing ‘Exercise Livewire’ that started from Saturday last. “During the period of this exercise, such sounds could be heard,” said Eastern Air Command’s public relations officer Group Captain Amit Mahajan. Along with operational requirements, maintenance and administrative requirements are also to be tested during the exercises, said an IAF official. “Communications, net centric warfare operations and reconnaissance capabilities would be checked. Joint operations with Indian Army and Navy would be practised on realistic targets,” the official added.