Yes, I agree an expensive MPA for this task is a waste of money. Satellites and hydraphones on ships have provided the real positive leads. All that the MPAs have done is add to global warming! What's really staggering is that these high tech aircraft touted as LRSAR assets have been unable to detect an active acoustic signal that would appear to have been pinging for some time.
If they truly are for long range search then one of the lessons from this is that they must get a capability to detect one of the primary location aids on an airliner following a crash over water. Otherwise, they may as well go back in the hangar after 24hrs following the accident as their capability doesn't warrant their expense.
The B Word