<p>The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences first wants to purchase a small aircraft equipped with various instruments and fly it for a few years before graduating to a bigger US-made C-130J type transport aircraft for aerial data collection. “We will commission an airborne research platform,” Union Science Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said here on Wednesday.<br /><br />The ministry plans to go ahead with the Rs 200-crore proposal in the 12th plan, though it is yet to be approved by the Finance ministry. <br /><br />“Once approved, it may take three years to purchase the plane,” Earth Sciences Secretary Shailesh Nayak said.<br /><br />The aircraft will have instruments to determine the cloud size, temperature, air pressure, and to measure concentration of greenhouse gases and aerosols.<br /><br />The small aircraft will move in the periphery of a tropical storm for data collection while a bigger one like C-130J can fly straight to the eye of a cyclone and collect more information.<br />While many advanced nations have their own dedicated research aircraft, India so far has purchased three research ships.</p>
<p>The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences first wants to purchase a small aircraft equipped with various instruments and fly it for a few years before graduating to a bigger US-made C-130J type transport aircraft for aerial data collection. “We will commission an airborne research platform,” Union Science Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said here on Wednesday.<br /><br />The ministry plans to go ahead with the Rs 200-crore proposal in the 12th plan, though it is yet to be approved by the Finance ministry. <br /><br />“Once approved, it may take three years to purchase the plane,” Earth Sciences Secretary Shailesh Nayak said.<br /><br />The aircraft will have instruments to determine the cloud size, temperature, air pressure, and to measure concentration of greenhouse gases and aerosols.<br /><br />The small aircraft will move in the periphery of a tropical storm for data collection while a bigger one like C-130J can fly straight to the eye of a cyclone and collect more information.<br />While many advanced nations have their own dedicated research aircraft, India so far has purchased three research ships.</p>