US Navy planes built to handle all types of weather conditions
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PETALING JAYA: Cyclone Gillian may be wreaking havoc in the southern Indian Ocean but it won’t stall the intense search for Flight MH370.
United States Navy’s 7th Fleet spokesman Commander William J. Marks said the planes used for its operations were built to withstand all types of weather conditions.
The category one cyclone has already hit the Australian territory of Christmas Island, but has not yet hit the remote stretch of ocean about 1,600km south-west of Australia where ships and planes are searching for wreckage.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the cyclone is intensifying and destructive wind gusts of up to 125kph are expected. Very strong winds and rough seas are expected there.
Speaking on behalf of the pilots of the P-8A Poseidon and P-3C Orion aircraft, Marks told The Star in an e-mail yesterday:
“Even when the weather is bad, we don’t give up the radar search and switch to visual. We simply adjust and search smarter.”
He said the P3 and P8 were all-weather aircraft with multiple sensors and the radar would be adjusted for sea clutter to optimise the search.
“The tactical coordinator can optimise his or her search tactics to exploit all sensors in an order of priority that matches the environment.
