It has been almost 12 years since flight MH 370 disappeared without a trace on a flight from KL to Beijing: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 missing
Search for the wreckage has been going on several times over the years, but without results so far. Now the search has been revived:
Ocean Infinity's Search Vessel Arrives at MH370 Search Zone - AVSN
From an article in VG.no today:
Norwegian underwater drone searches for mystery plane
Almost 12 years after the Malaysian plane disappeared without a trace, the search for the mystery plane is underway again. This time with a Norwegian underwater robot.
Right now, the British-American company Ocean Infinity is searching in a restricted area off the west coast of Australia. The search began on December 30th.
The company is trying to solve the puzzle with support from the Malaysian government, and assistance from Australia and France.
The tool they use is Norwegian – the world’s most advanced underwater drone, developed at Kongsberg:
The Norwegian underwater vehicle Hugin uses very advanced technology. Photo: Kongsberg Discovery
The Hugin underwater vessels have been good business for Kongsberg Gruppen. Photo: Manuel Diez, Fugro Survey Ltd
Hugin can dive without a physical connection to a boat or remote control from the surface.
– The newest version is 11 meters long, weighs eight tons, and has a range equivalent to Oslo-Kirkenes in one dive, says Gjone.
https://www.iotworldtoday.com/transportation-logistics/huge-drone-sub-completes-weeks-long-1-200-nautical-mile-mission
There is undoubtedly great prestige in finding the world’s most famous, missing aircraft.
The company that has undertaken the search is doing so on a “no cure, no pay” basis. If they find the plane, they will receive a reward of 700 million kroner. If they find nothing, there will be no fee.
In 2022, Ocean Infinity helped locate polar hero Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship Endurance in Antarctica.
On Wednesday night, several international websites reported unusual movements from the mother ship carrying the Norwegian-developed underwater robots.
The ship is said to have returned to a position it was in a few days earlier and has slowed down, which several observers interpret as a sign that interesting discoveries may have been made.
Ocean Infinity itself has not provided any updates on what is happening.
Source: MH370: Norsk undervannsrobot skal finne mysterieflyet
There are a growing interest in underwater drones for defense purposes. The Royal Navy has been doing trials with a fleet of drones coordinating with a frigate. The drones are very sophisticated and have the potential to make life very difficult for a submarine.