Air Force plane carrying Pete Hegseth declares emergency: What is Squawk 7700?
An Air Force plane reportedly carrying Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had to declare an emergency and reverse its course.
An Air Force plane carrying Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had to declare an emergency and reverse its course on Wednesday. The Air Force C-32 departing from Brussels reportedly dropped to 10,000 feet when over the Atlantic, and reversed its course for the UK, as per independent journalist Nick Sortor.
Flight tracker information also showed that the plane was headed back. The plane is identified as SAM153.
The flight tracking information also showed that plane had squawked 7700, which is used for emergencies.
What is Squawk code 7700?
Squawk codes are 4-digit codes that Air Traffic Control personnel give to pilots so they can communicate more thoroughly and in a more effective manner.
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Squawk 7700 indicates an emergency, but it can be of any kind, as per California Aeronautical University. It can indicate mechanical or technical problems or be used in case of medical issues.
The plane made an emergency landing in the UK after suffering a cracked windshield.
Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs, shared “On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe.” Hegseth too commented “All good. Thank God. Continue mission!”
Pete Hegseth in Brussels
Hegseth in Brussels issued a stern warning to Russia. He said the US and its allies would “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression” if the war in Ukraine did not come to an end.
"If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do," Hegseth said at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of Kyiv's allies at NATO headquarters.
“Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table. This is not a war that started on President Trump's watch, but it will end on his watch,” he added.
“You get peace when you are strong. Not when you use strong words or wag your fingers, you get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect,” he had told reporters earlier in the day at the NATO headquarters.
(With Reuters inputs)
