[Peetwo]

www.news.com.au pulls it's own story -



Here is the initial link.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/innova...public_rss

Pulled within hours, in the middle of an election campaign, suspicious.

It appears that the original news.com.au article has been republished here:

Mystery team in hunt for MH370

• Video
  

[img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/news/content/v1/origin:video_integrator.V5ZmdnMzE6KI_cF25marIoPU_0sA4HoY?t_product=video&t_template=../video/player[/img]

The newly-constructed Nan Hai Jui 102 pictured in November last year, will be the primary vessel used in the new, China-led search for MH370 due to start next month

[img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/86e4cdf929f450a650d886f1315cb16f?t_product=tcog&t_template=s3/ncatemp/desktop/includes/content-2/authorBlockSingle[/img]
A FOREIGN government agency is about to take over the search for MH370 after a fruitless two years scouring the southern Indian Ocean under the direction of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)

The country that has stepped up to the plate is China and the agency is the China Rescue and Salvage Bureau of the Ministry of Communications. The vessel taking on the daunting task is called the Nan Hai Jiu 102.

According to the Singapore-based MacArtney Underwater Technology, which has been contracted to install the vessel with a winch for the deep tow sonar system, the search will be “reinitiated in June 2016 by an Australian-based search team”.

In April, the Chinese sent a search vessel, the Dong Hai Jiu 101, to join the Fugro Equator and the Fugro Discovery in the hunt for the missing Boeing 777 and it’s likely to continue working alongside the Nan Hai Jiu 102.

News.com.au sought comment on the development from Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester but he declined to address the question, issuing instead a statement about next month’s “tripartite meeting” on MH370 involving Chinese, Malaysian and Australian officials.


The new Chinese vessel set to take over the Australian search, the Nan Hai Jiu 102, is currently being fitted with this winch (pictured) supplied by MacArtney Underwater Technology.Source:Supplied

A notice in this month’s edition of Oceanlogy International stated that Nanhai Rescue (a division of the China Rescue and Salvage Bureau) had ordered “two Teledyne Benthos deep-tow systems with QINSy software from QPS through reseller Geo-Marine Technology”.

“The deep-tow systems will be used in the search for MH370,” the notice said.

“QPS will add extra functionality for this project, such as obstacle avoidance for the tow fish. Sensors on the tow fish include multibeam and dual-frequency sidesman sonar.”

The tow fish has been lost on two occasions in the current search — once coming loose after colliding with an underwater volcano.

MacArtney has created a page on its website which provides more detail about the capabilities of the Nan Hai Jiu 103.

“MacArtney has won the tender to supply a MERMAC R40 winch for a Benthos deep tow sonar system,” the website says.

“The winch is to be installed on board the search and rescue vessel Nan Hai Jiu 102 and the search for flight MH370 is going to be reinitiated in June 2016 by an Australian-based search team.

“The MacArtney MERMAC R electrically driven winch in question is a robust and advanced vehicle handling system which safely controls the launch, operation and recovery of ROVs and towed vehicle systems.”


The depressor weight being brought aboard the vessel supplied by China in April, the Dong Hai Jiu 101. Source: ATSB, photo by Mel ProudlockSource:Supplied

EIGHT VITAL MH370 QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS
ARE YOU INADVERTENTLY HOARDING A PIECE OF MH370 WRECKAGE?

Managing Director of MacArtney’s Asia Pacific Operations, Steen Frejo, told News.com.au that the Nanhai Rescue would start work “as soon as the vessel and all the equipment is ready”.

The ATSB has repeatedly said it will end its search by July at the latest, with no plans to extend the current search area — a 120 sq km zone off the west coast of Australia known as the “7th arc”. However, recent comments by ATSB chief Martin Dolan suggested the deadline may be extended to make up for bad weather stalling operations.

“We have some way to go and our best bet is that we will complete that search late July, early August, depending on unforeseen circumstances,” he told The Australian newspaper on Friday.

“The technical capability is there to continue the search but the resources to do it is a matter for government.”

Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board on March 8, 2014.

With less than 15,000 sq km left to be searched, Mr Dolan admitted hopes of recovering the plane are fading.

“At this point there is a diminishing level of confidence that we will find the aircraft,” he told the Australian.

“There will be a lot of disappointment if we don’t find it. At worst we will know at the end of this process that the area we have searched does not contain the aircraft. At best we will find it.”


There are less than 15 sq km of the search zone known as the 7th arc (above) left to be searched and so far no sign of the plane.Source:Supplied

Five pieces of wreckage believed to have come from the missing plane have so far been recovered — none were found in the search zone — but there has been no sign of the fuselage or the black box.

News that the search will be continued by China will be welcomed by the grieving families of those on board MH370, who have been left in limbo since the plane vanished. Authorities still don’t know why or how it happened but it is hoped that with fresh eyes, answers will come.

News.com.au approached Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester for more details on the Chinese search and the identity of “Australian-based search team” but no answers were forthcoming.

Instead, Mr Chester issued a statement saying: “A tripartite meeting of senior officials is scheduled to be held in June, which will pave the way for a ministerial level meeting planned for mid-July.

“These meetings are expected to take place prior to the completion of the 120,000 square kilometre search area in the southern Indian Ocean to discuss the search.”

Mr Chester added: “Without any credible evidence that leads to the identification of a specific location of the aircraft, there will be no further expansion of the search area.

I wonder what the true intentions of the Chinese really are.

It is worth pondering the possibilities.

As I pointed out long ago, if the Chinese have been unhappy with the Malaysian "directed - controlled - demanded - commanded" search, and intend to conduct their own search, for legal reasons, they do have to wait for the official ICAO - Annex 13 search to officially end.

After that happens (now apparently "slipped to the right" - again - to the end of August 2016) - they are "legally" free to do whatever they like.

If so, it is unlikely that they would give the "Beaker Bugle Boys" the time of day.

I hope that they have their own theory, which leads them to a specific area, and which subsequently proves to be correct when they find the plane.

It will be interesting too see exactly "where" they search.

Then the rest of us can burn many more brain cells, trying to work out "why" they search "there".

Hopefully, they will search in my area, "inside the 6th arc".

Time will tell.

All the "ship tracker guys" - Mike Chillit - Richard Cole - and others, had better be ready to burn many more hours monitoring.

It will be interesting !

Yes a fascinating development indeed...   Hopefully the Chinese will screen all calls coming from ATSBeaker & that silly 'photogenic filter' & self-flagellating miniscule, Dazzling Dazza the Jestering Chester -

For having traffic with thyself alone, Thou of thyself thy sweet self dost deceive. (Shakespeare)

[/url]

Photo of Australia’s deputy prime minister after a hostile meeting with an aviation industry group. Courtesy of Minister for Transport, via the twitter ‘Selfie’ king.  Sign photo-shopped by an anonymous industry commentator.  The national image eh? Stellar.

#DontVote4Chester.
[url=http://auntypru.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Screen-Shot-2016-05-12-at-1.21.57-PM.png]
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave…when first we practice to deceive. (W Scott). {Marmion}.
 
- See more at: http://auntypru.com/#sthash.P02gzSB4.dpuf

Marnie has now confirmed on twitter that the takedown of her original online article was due to publishing issues and can again be viewed at this link: Mysterious Australian team to work with China in new search for MH370  

Also of passing interest is the Senate Estimates AQON - after several false starts - are finally available for public access, here is the link for the ATSB AQON.

Relevant to MH370 is the answer to Senator Sterle's written QON #194:

Question no.: 194
Program: n/a
Division/Agency: Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Topic: Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
Proof Hansard Page: Written


Senator Sterle, Glenn asked:

1. How much has the Australian Government spent so far in the search from MH370?
a. In 2014-5?
b. In 2015-6 so far?
2. What is the Commonwealth’s overall budgeted amount available for the search?
3. What have other nations contributed to the search?
4. What is the outlook for the search process?

Answer:
A comprehensive briefing on the search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 was provided to the Committee on 22 February 2016 by the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), which was established to coordinate whole of Australian Government activities in regard to the search, and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is responsible for underwater search operations. This response has been provided by the JACC.

1. In the 2014-15 Federal Budget, the Government committed up to $89.9 million over two years from 2013-14 as part of Australia’s contribution to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. This provided:

• $2 million for the Joint Agency Coordination Centre;
• $27.9 million to Department of Defence for costs in search for MH370; and
• $60 million to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to undertake the underwater search.
a. In 2013-14 and 2014-15:
• Department of Defence expended $27.9 million;
• Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development expended $1.6 million to support the JACC; and
• ATSB expended $41.8 million of Australian Government funding on underwater search activities.

Other agencies absorbed their own costs.

b. As at 29 February 2016, an additional $18.2 million has been expended of Australian Government funding by the ATSB.

2. $89.9 million.

3. Twenty-five other countries have been involved in the search for MH370, generously contributing resources and expertise: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, New Zealand, the People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. During 2014-15, Malaysia directly funded the provision of a vessel and search system as part of the search.

The contract for the provision of these services was directly with Malaysia and the value of this contribution is not available. In addition, Malaysia has committed a cash contribution of $100 million, of which $80 million has been paid as at 29 February 2016. During the early part of the search, China provided a vessel to undertake underwater mapping services. The value of this contribution is not available. In addition, China has committed to supply a search vessel and funding to cover search costs, to a total value of $20 million

4. It is anticipated that searching the 120,000 square kilometre search area will take until the middle of 2016 to complete. Upon completion of the entire area, it is expected all high probability search areas will have been covered. In the absence of credible new information that leads to the identification of a specific location of the aircraft, the Governments of Australia, Malaysia and China have agreed that there will be no further expansion of the search area.

Nothing outstandingly new in any of that I guess but the statement..

"...In the absence of credible new information that leads to the identification of a specific location of the aircraft, the Governments of Australia, Malaysia and China have agreed that there will be no further expansion of the search area..."
 

...in light of Marnie's article, with follow up pending, would appear to indicate that China may have other ideas, contrary to the party line -


MTF...P2