What Happened
Russian Missile Launch Warning Disrupts US Air Force Flight to Antarctica
A US Air Force flight to Antarctica was diverted back to New Zealand after Russia issued a warning about a potentially hazardous missile launch activity over a vast area of airspace. The military aircraft, a C-17 Globemaster, was operating as part of the annual Winter Fly-In operations to transport personnel and equipment to the US Antarctic research base McMurdo Station and New Zealand’s Scott Base. The warning established a danger zone of 30-million-square-kilometre airspace, prompting the flight to return to Christchurch Airport. This incident was first reported by an unknown source.