Tentera Laut AS Gerakkan Pesawat P-8A Poseiden Bantu Cari MH370

Armada Ketujuh Tentera Laut Amerika Syarikat akan menggerakkan pesawat P-8A Poseidon untuk membantu misi mencari dan menyelamat pesawat Malaysia Airlines penerbangan MH370 yang hilang sejak Sabtu lalu.

P-8A Poseiden, milik US Navy

Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat di Kuala Lumpur dalam satu kenyataan di Kuala Lumpur semalam berkata, pesawat P-8A mempunyai kelajuan maksimum 490 knot dan mampu terbang pada ketinggian maksimum 12,500 meter.

"Untuk satu misi seperti pencarian MH370, P-8A biasanya terbang pada ketinggian 1,524 meter ke 3,048 meter pada kelajuan 350 knot, dengan masa pencarian di antara lapan hingga sembilan jam bergantung kepada jarak ke kawasan pencarian," katanya.

Ia berkata, P-8A adalah pesawat pelbagai misi yang menyediakan pemantauan dan pengintipan di permukaan dan dasar laut. - Bernama, 14 Mac, 2014.

Laporan dari media AS:

The P-8, a modified Boeing 737 that the Navy only started using late last year, is faster and has a much longer range than the propeller-driven P-3, which was sent to join the search on Saturday.

That capability could be crucial if the search extends further from the Malaysian coast following a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. investigators suspect Flight 370 stayed in the air for about four hours past the time it reached its last confirmed location.

The P-8, which is the U.S. Navy’s most advanced antisubmarine and aerial reconnaissance aircraft, would move into the area on Saturday to join the search in a daily rotation with the P-3, said Seventh Fleet spokesman Cmdr. William J. Marks.

US Navy handout image shows Patrol Squadron (VP) 16's P-8A Poseidon No. 429 and
 No. 435 aircraft refueling at Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Ayase, Japan in December 2013.
 Getty Images

The P-8 has a maximum speed of 490 knots (or nautical miles per hour), a ceiling of 41,000 feet and provides a range of more than 1,200 nautical miles with four hours on station, he said. That’s about 300 nautical miles further than the P-3.

For a search mission like this, the P-8 would typically fly at 5,000 to 10,000 feet at 350 knots, with a search time of about 8-9 hours, depending on distance to search area, he said.

“This move adds the P-8’s enhanced technology and greater range to the search efforts while maximizing planned maintenance and guarding against air crew fatigue for both aircraft,” the spokesman said.

The P-3 would fly a search mission on Thursday evening using its radar, infrared and night vision capabilities, he said.

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