MH370: Countries vow to continue search
Date May 5, 2014 - 4:06PM
David Wroe
National security correspondent
Chinese, Malaysian and Australian ministers have met in Canberra, announcing a new phase in the search for MH370.
Australia and other countries involved in the search for missing flight MH370 remain confident they are hunting in the right area and are embarking on a global push for new search equipment.
Transport Minister Warren Truss, after meeting with his counterparts from Malaysia and China, vowed the search would continue though he admitted there was no telling how long it would take. Just to find and acquire the equipment for the next phase would likely take four to six weeks, he said.
“We obviously have no idea when it’s likely to be found. You just always hope it’s tomorrow. So far our very, very best leads – days when we were quite confident that this was going to be the day – have all proved fruitless,” he said.
Malaysian Acting Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Husssein, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and Chinese Transport Minister, Yang Chuantan address the media after their meeting on the search for MH370 at Parliament House in Canberra.
Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
International experts would meet in Canberra on Wednesday to sift through the information gathered so far in a bid to define the new search area and make sure nothing has been missed, Mr Truss said.
This audit of information would “look again at the satellite information that has been accumulated so that we can make sure that it's been accurately interpreted (and) whether it should lead to some further search for information”, Mr Truss said.
Former chief of the Defence Force, Angus Houston, who is heading the search, said: “I still think that that is the best information we have” but added it was sensible to go back over the data to “make sure there are no flaws in that”.
A key part of this week’s meeting will be identifying the equipment needed – largely sonar devices that can be towed behind a ship and submersible vehicles to search the sea floor.
Mr Truss said there were only a “handful” of such assets around the world, most of which are in the private sector. Authorities have begun a tender process so that companies could bid to supply the equipment.
Also, most of the ocean floor in that area had never been mapped and was therefore little understood.
“It will require a significant effort for us to understand the ocean floor in that area,” Mr Truss said.
“I should emphasise that there are only a handful of relevant pieces of machinery in the world … but we know that some countries have oceanographic vessels that are capable of mapping the sea at that depth, and hopefully we will be able to harness some of that equipment to get on with that job.”
Chinese Transport Minister Yang Chuantang vowed the search would not let up.
“We will continue to search in accordance with the consensus reached at this meeting and assure that the search will not be interrupted, not be suspended, not be given up and not be slacked,” he said.
On the question of the cost of the ongoing search, Mr Truss said the expected $60 million price tag would be discussed between the participating countries.
Malaysian Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein added that none of the countries involved had so far raised the matter of costs with Malaysia, and added that there was now “a good platform for others to come forward and participate”.
So far, each country involved has borne its own costs. But Mr Truss said Australia would be looking for increased involvement from companies such as Boeing – which made the 777 plane – and Rolls Royce – which built the engines – and their host countries.