The Malaysian government's announcement that the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was a deliberate act has prompted the U.S. military to reorganize assets searching for the missing plane.
The San Diego-based USS Kidd is now part of a team looking in the northern Indian Ocean.
Army Col. Steven Warren explained to American Forces Press Service that the Kidd is currently north of the Strait of Malacca, in a region dubbed the "western search area":
“The western search area is a large swath of water that includes the Andaman Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the northern portion of the Indian Ocean. So it’s a very large search area.”
Warren said the sophisticated P-8A Poseidon aircraft will search the Bay of Bengal:
“The P-8A will provide more capability while focusing on worldwide responsiveness and interoperability. [The] nine-person crew will operate state-of-the-art sensors.”
The Associated Press has reported the startling revelation that the flight crew's final words to air traffic controllers, "All right, good night," were spoken after someone disabled one of the plane's communications systems.
Malaysian officials say this indicates the possibility that one or both of the pilots were involved in the plane's disappearance.
At least 25 countries are now involved in the massive search for MH370, both over land and over sea, according to CNN.
