Air Force searches for mystery sub.

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 4

Air Force searches for mystery sub.

Two R.N.Z.A.F. Orion aircraft are hunting a mystery submarine near the Cook Islands.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, Commander Gerry Power confirmed last evening that three military aircraft had been sent to Rarotonga in the hunt for what local fishermen believed was a submarine. An initial Orion sent to check out the reports had since been backed up by a second Orion and a Cl 30 Hercules carrying supplies and maintenance crews for the two search aircraft. Commander Power said he had no details of further sightings and could only say that the initial reports had been made over the last few days. The initial request for a search aircraft had come from Cook Islands authorities, he said. Confirmation of the search follows speculation

in the Cook Islands about a lack of information available to the local news media about the aircraft.

The Press Association’s special correspondent, Mr David Lewis, reported yesterday that all the New Zealand personnel, including diplomatic representatives, had declined to comment on the presence of the aircraft. “There have been rumours that the three planes have been off-load-ing unidentified canisters and are searching for an unidentified submarine," he said. The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Sir Thomas Davis, told local journalists that he had no official knowledge of the reason for the presence of the planes over the last three days and said a lack of information had characterised the Lange Government’s approach to the islands.