The Malaysian authorities have indicated that based on investigation, the search operations for the missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft MH 370 have entered a new phase and a strategy for further searches is being formulated.
Accordingly, search operations have been suspended and all Indian assets earmarked for SAR operations have been placed on standby.
So far no sighting or detection has been reported by the units deployed for searches in various designated areas.
India has deployed numerous assets of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard to search for the plane. A total of six aircraft and six ships with their integral helicopters from the Tri-services Andaman & Nicobar Command, the Eastern Naval Command, the IAF and the Indian Coast Guard were deployed which have combed the designated search areas spanning across the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Additional naval assets from the ENC were kept on standby for immediate deployment.
“Indian Navy, continues to maintain active coordination with the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force from its Maritime Operations Centre at New Delhi which is being manned on a 24X7 basis,” the Navy said in a release.
[mappress] Press Release, March 19, 2014, Image: Indian Navy