INDIAN ARMED FORCES CHIEFS ON OUR RELENTLESS AND FOCUSED PUBLISHING EFFORTS

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— General Upendra Dwivedi, Indian Army Chief

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— Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Indian Navy Chief

Since, its inception in 1964, SP Guide Publications has consistently demonstrated commitment to high-quality journalism in the aerospace and defence sectors, earning a well-deserved reputation as Asia's largest media house in this domain. I wish SP Guide Publications continued success in its pursuit of excellence.

— Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Indian Air Force Chief
       

Man hops on to German Chancellor's aircraft

Issue No. 21 | November 01-15, 2013

A 24-year-old man clutching a bag full of marijuana and ecstasy pills managed with relative ease to get on board an empty government jet used frequently by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while it was parked at a closed military section of the Cologne airport.

The man, a bodybuilder of Turkish descent named as Volkan T., proceeded to stage a raucous, one-man party. Reports said he stripped down to his underpants, sprayed fire extinguisher foam around the elegant cream and beige interior, pushed buttons in the cockpit, released an inflatable emergency slide and danced on the wing of the Airbus 319.

The plane, which is also used by other top state officials including President Joachim Gauck, was delivered three years ago and is one of two medium range A319 jets in the government fleet. It has a private office, a conference room that seats 12 and a main cabin with space for 32.

The incident was initially reported in July 2013, but is now attracting renewed attention after an intriguing eight-page police report was leaked to German newspapers.

According to newspapers including Welt am Sonntag and General-Anzeiger, the report reveals that the plane was accessible through its emergency exits and the cockpit door was open. It also says that it took police, private security guards and members of the Bundeswehr army almost four hours to get the intruder off the plane.