US Navy's Bluefin-21 Deployed in the Search for MH370

The US Navy began the underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 by deploying the submersible Bluefin-21 vehicle on April 14. The search-and-rescue operation has now focussed on the seabed in an area of the Indian Ocean around 1,000 miles northwest of Perth, Australia. Electronic signals from the area helped narrow the search zone but no further ‘pings’ have been detected since April 8.

This video shows the autonomous underwater vehicle being deployed from ADF Ocean Shield on April 14. The vehicle’s initial search ended early after only six hours, according to Australia’s Joint Agency Coordination Center, when it exceeded its operating depth and was automatically returned to the surface. It was to be deployed again on April 15. Credit: U.S. Seventh Fleet/YouTube