Singapore sends more aircraft, vessels to search for missing MAS plane

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has deployed additional assets to assist in the search-and-locate (SAL) operation for a missing Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane.

These include two other Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 aircraft, a Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Formidable-class frigate (RSS Steadfast), with a Sikorsky S-70B naval helicopter on board, a submarine support and rescue vessel with divers on board as well as a Missile Corvette (RSS Vigour).

The first RSAF C-130 deployed Saturday returned to Singapore Saturday night, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement Sunday.

It said the additional assets were sent after Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen offered them to his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, on Saturday.

MAS Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew, went missing en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing about an hour after taking off from the KL International Airport in Sepang at 12.41 am Saturday.

It should have landed in Beijing at 6.30 am.