Missing Malaysian Jet involves 8 countries
The search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing on Saturday with 239 people on board, has brought together nearly 100 vessels and aircraft from eight countries in Asia and the Pacific.
The assistance poured in after Malaysia sought help in locating the Boeing 777-200 that disappeared on Saturday en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Kuala Lumpur has deployed 18 aircraft and 27 ships to lead the search and rescue mission in seas between Malaysia and Vietnam, where the jet last made contact.
The countries that are helping in the search are: Vietnam - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Vietnam has dispatched two planes and seven ships to help with the search.
The National Committee for Search and Rescue said another five planes and four ships are on standby for search activities. China - China has deployed four search and rescue vessels and two warships to help in the mission.
One of the warships, an amphibious landing vessel, has two helicopters on board, a 14-member medical team and a rescue team of 10 divers. More than 150 of the passengers on the missing plane were Chinese nationals.
Singapore -Singapore has sent two warships, a submarine support and rescue vessel, a Sikorsky naval helicopter and a C-130 aircraft to help in the search and rescue mission.
The submarine has divers on board that could help search for clues underwater, the Ministry of Defence said. Thailand - The Thai Navy has dispatched a Super Lynx helicopter and a patrol ship to the Andaman Sea, west of Thailand, to help in the search.
It has also put two other ships on standby in the Gulf of Thailand, awaiting a request for assistance from Malaysia. Australia - Australia has dispatched two AP-3C Orion long-range aircraft to boost the search in the South China Sea. Six Australians were among the missing plane's passengers. Philippines - The Philippines has dispatched a Fokker F-27 and an Islander plane and two patrol ships.
It has also placed on alert a Hamilton-class cutter vessel and a C-130 plane to join in the mission if needed. Indonesia - Indonesia dispatched a corvette, four rapid patrol vessels and a maritime surveillance plane to join the search for the missing jetliner after Malaysia requested assistance to scour the waters around Penang island in the Malacca Strait. United States - The US Navy has dispatched two ships, the USS Pinckney and the USNS John Ericsson, and a P-3C Orion aircraft from the Kadena Air base in Okinawa, Japan.
The USS Pinckney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, carries two MH-60R helicopters which can be equipped for search and rescue missions.
- Sapa