MH370: Royal Malaysian Navy's KD Lekiu joins SAR in Perth

The Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) has arrived in Perth, Australia to take part in the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 flight search and rescue (SAR) operation.

The KD Lekiu, one of TLDM's most sophisticated vessels, arrived on Monday at the Royal Australian Navy base HMAS Stirling and will head out to the search area in the Indian Ocean about 1,800km northwest of Perth.

KD Lekiu

TLDM's vessel, KD Lekiu

Previously, the vessel was assigned to search for the missing aircraft in the South China Sea.

"We will be leaving on Thursday. It will take us three days to get to the search area and will spend eight days there before taking another three days to return to HMAS Stirling," said the vessel's Commanding Officer, Commander Jamsari Tahir.

The KD Lekiu carries on-board with it a Super Lynx helicopter and is manned by a crew 160 personnel, including eleven who are specially tasked to the helicopter.

According to Commander Jamsari, the crew capabilities will be optimised for a strategic visual search in the area as that is the best method to spot anything of significance.

The Super Lynx helicopter is also an added advantage that the KD Lekiu has that will enable them extend it's search range.

"We will be able to fly over search areas that are inaccessible by vessels and also at an altitude that is lower, hence better visibility of the water surface, than the other aircrafts that come here," said TLDM pilot, Captain Jason Solomon.

The presence of KD Lekiu in Perth increases the number of vessels in the search area to nine and that includes Australia's ADV Ocean Shield, which had left HMAS Stirling on Tuesday and carries the important black box pinger locator that will hopefully increase the chances of locating the missing flight MH370.