After a search mission that involved scouring 15,000 square miles of ocean, the San Diego-based USS Kidd and its helicopters have ended their search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Because the search area has expanded to such an extensive degree, the U.S. Navy decided (in consultation with the Malaysian government) that long range patrol aircraft like the P-8A Poseidon and the P-3C Orion would be more effective in the search than a guided missile destroyer like the Kidd, according to a news release from 7th fleet public affairs.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel telephoned Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein Monday night to assure him the U.S. military is still committed to helping find Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. American Forces Press Service reports Hagel informed Minister Hishammuddin that the U.S. Navy has "re-tasked reconnaissance aircraft" to search the Indian Ocean’s southern corridor.
According to Stars and Stripes:
"The Navy still has a P-8A Poseidon and a P-3C Orion in the search area. The Poseidon is heading toward Australia to support the search efforts in the southern area of the search area, and the Orion will remain in Kuala Lumpur as coordinated by the Malaysian government."
Michio Kaku, a physics professor at City University of New York, spoke with CBS news about the challenges faced by the search teams looking for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370:
