The search for the Missing Malaysian Flight has perhaps entered its most critical phase yet as the first unmanned submarine, the Bluefin–21 has returned with convincing data.
The search which has been going on for more than 40 days now, may end this week as Malaysian acting Transport Minister Hishammudin Hussein said, “This weekend would be very important for the search of missing plane — MH370” reported RTE News.
He seemed to be basing his observations on the data that has been sent atop by Bluefin–21, the unmanned robotic deep–sea submarine deployed by Australian defense vessel Ocean Shield. The search has been greatly narrowed to a very small specific area in the Indian Ocean, Hishammudin said, adding that he was informed by Angus Houston of the Joint Agency Coordination Center ( JACC ). Houston assured the Minister that the visuals they got from the autonomous underwater vehicle, Bluefin- 21, were very clear, which made it quite easy to see the seabed.
Though Hishammudin appeared quite optimistic, the search has perhaps entered its most critical , if not conclusive, phase. So far, the search for the missing Malaysian flight MH–370 was being executed by continual aerial sweeps and by listening to underwater pings from the flight Blackbox (Flight Data Recorder). Even the oil slick that was detected didn’t belong to the missing Boeing 777.
But now that it can be assumed that the Blackbox has gone silent due to dead batteries , the search entered the treacherous Indian Ocean waters to search for the wreckage using unmanned submarines. Apart from Bluefin, there have been reports of more submarines being pressed into service.
However, the Minsiter’s worried undertone became apparent when he said, “The next few days will be important to see what they can find”. This basically means the efficacy of the search patterns etched out as well as search routine that has been established will all depend on what Bluefin and other similar submarines offer.
In case none of the submarines are able to offer any conclusive evidence of the missing Malaysian flight, the entire methodology will have to be revised indicated Hishammudin, “It still depends on, he said, what they would discover in the next few days. If not, then I agree with Prime Minister Abbott (that the search will enter a new phase).”
If the submarines fail to locate the missing MH–370, it certainly won’t mean the search operations will be halted, but it will only mean the navies will have to “regroup, re–strategize and see where do they go from there” shared Hishammudin
[Images via Bing]
