Search for MH370 continues after encouraging lead

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Communications and Information Systems Able Seaman Andrew Bailey (L), Communications and Information Systems Seaman Georgina Brooks (C) and Gunner Richard Brown aboard the Australian Navy ship HMAS Perth look towards the HMAS Success during manoeuvres as they continue to search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force April 10, 2014.[Photo/Agencies]

PERTH - Up to 14 planes and 13 ships will assist in Thursday's search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 following Tuesday's "encouraging lead" found by the Ocean Shield.

Thursday's search will cover an area of about 57,923 square kilometers, 2,280 kilometers northwest of Perth, with the underwater search continuing, according to the latest update from the Australian Joint Agency Coordination Center (JACC).

The weather conditions are reasonable in the search area. "Moderate south easterly winds with isolated showers are forecast. And visibility will be fair (5,000 meters) during the showers," the JACC said.

Australian ship Ocean Shield reacquired on Tuesday two more suspicious signals in the southern Indian Ocean during an intensified search, one at late afternoon and one at late night, according to Angus Houston, head of the JACC, adding the last signal heard was weak.

Houston said the new detections boosted the hope that "we are searching in the right area," which is approximately 2,200 kilometers northwest of Perth.

The previous two signals detected last Saturday and Sunday have been confirmed to be consistent with aircraft black boxes and it must be from a man-made device, Houston said.

Regarding Wednesday's discovery of multiple floating objects in the area where the suspicious signals were detected, Houston said Thursday that few had been retrieved and that none of those was suspected to be debris from the missing plane.

The JACC also confirmed Thursday that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is continuing to refine the area where the missing aircraft entered the water.

This refining is based on continuing ground-breaking and multi- disciplinary technical analysis of satellite communication and aircraft performance, passed from the international air crash investigative team, according to the JACC.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday appreciated Australia's efforts in the search when talking with visiting Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is in China to attend the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

Li said the international cooperation showed countries in the region are capable of handling challenges with concerted efforts.

On the same day, the Pentagon released its cost in the search for the missing jetliner, saying that it has committed about 7.3 million dollars in the past month in support of the search.

Washington has provided ships, helicopters, planes and underwater surveillance equipment to assist the search operations.