US navy aircraft, ship to return from MH370 search

Two US P-8 patrol aircraft and a supply ship will return to other operations within the 7th Fleet in line with the collaborative decision to cease flight operations for searching the missing Malaysian jetliner, a spokesman said Wednesday. [Special coverage]

In an emailed statement, US 7th Fleet Spokesman William Marks said that the two US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft and USNS Cesar Chavez were "detached" from current search operations and support efforts in Perth, Australia.

"The decision to detach the P-8s was made in close coordination with the Governments of Australia and Malaysia in view of the diminishing possibility debris will be found on the surface of the water," he added.

Overall, US 7th fleet patrol aircraft support included 45 missions, with 396 hours of flight time covering 513,000 square nautical miles, and Bluefin-21 completed the initial sub-surface search of over 400 square kilometers, he said.

"We are coordinating with the Australian government on future employment of the Bluefin-21 and will provide information as it is finalized," the spokesman said.

"We continue to offer support to Australia and Malaysia as they move forward in long-term recovery efforts."