MH370: India intensifies search of missing aircraft

India has intensified efforts to locate the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370, with the deployment of additional naval and air assets at an expanded area in Central and East Bay of Bengal.

Entering its third day, the Indian search efforts saw the deployment of two recently-acquired P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft of the Indian Navy and one C130 J aircraft of the Indian Air Force in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the Indian Defence Ministry said in a statement here on Saturday.

The Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard have also been extensively deployed for the ongoing search operations.

Six ships (three each from the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard) have been deployed, with Indian Navy ships 'Kesari' and 'Saryu' continuing their search as part of a multinational group in the Andaman Sea.

In addition to Coast Guard ships 'Kanaklata Barua' and 'Bhikaji Cama' in the Andaman Sea, 'CGS Sagar' has also been tasked to undertake the search in the Melaka Strait.

Eastern Naval Command has also provided aircraft assets, including the P8I aircraft, for search efforts in the Bay of Bengal. Additional ships and aircraft are on standby for augmenting the search.

As the lead service, the Indian Navy has maintained continuous liaison with the operations centres of the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force to coordinate the ongoing multinational efforts involving over 14 countries, 45 ships and 60 aircraft.

The Indian Navy has coordinated search over an area spanning more than 250,000 sq km in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, thus far, and the search operations are expected to continue.