MH370: Aussie maritime says objects, one 24 meters, 'best lead so far'

Australian authorities believe that two objects – one as wide as 24 meters – picked up by satellites in the southern Indian Ocean were ‘credible enough’ clues to divert a full-scale search for Flight MH370 to the area.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) on Thursday, however, cautioned that a search for these objects at sea was a difficult task and could turn up negative, as shown in past experiences.

“The objects are relatively indistinct. The indication to me is of objects that are of a reasonable size and probably awash with water and bobbing up and down over the surface," AMSA emergency response division general manager John Young Young said in a press conference aired live today.

Asked if there were any form of ‘markings’ that indicate that the objects could be from an aircraft, Young said that the imagery ‘was not that precise’, describing one of the images as simply a “blob”.

The discovery of the two objects marks a potential breakthrough in the search for the aircraft and its 239 passengers and crew.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced in parliament this morning that this was "new and credible information".

This development came after Australian commercial satellites captured images of several large objects in the ocean off Western Australia, and expert assessment of the satellite imagery by Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation decided that it was credible enough to warrant a full-scale search by aircraft and ships.

So far, four aircrafts have been dispatched to the area, which is some 2,500 km south-west of Perth.

One Australian aircraft is already at the location. The three others aircraft is also being been deployed – including a New Zealand Air Force Orion and a US Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft. Another Australian Orion is scheduled to depart later in the evening. A merchant ship is also expected to arrive at the area.

An Australian C-130 Hercules aircraft has been tasked by RCC Australia to drop datum marker buoys, which can provide information about water movement to assist in drift modeling.

“They will provide an ongoing reference point if the task of relocating the objects becomes protracted,” said AMSA.

Meanwhile, Young said that this was the ‘best lead’ so far, though the results can only be confirmed when the objects are ‘sighted up close’.

“This is a lead, this is probably the best lead we have right now, but we need to get there, to find them, see them, and asses them, to see whether it is meaningful or not,” Young said.

AMSA said weather conditions at the area are reportedly moderate while visibility was ‘poor’.