03-02-2026, 04:05 PM
Using P-3's was never a satisfactory air search platform for finding a debris field in the Southern Indian Ocean.
They are too weather dependent, way too limited 'time on station', and the effective sensor suites were, let's just say few, a few cameras, but essentially just a few Mk-1's.
I always wondered why neither AMSA nor the ATSB asked NASA for help very early on.
They could have deployed one or more of their ER-2's and or one or more of their WB-57's.
They have both the range and more importantly the endurance 'on station' for the job if operated out of RAAF Pearce.
In the first few weeks after the crash, a debris field would have still been reasonably confined, and the cameras in those things can see golf balls on a green from FL650 plus.
Not only that, but their camera swath width is impressive, and even though cloud was an issue, missions could have been designed to eventually cover every square inch of the relevant ocean areas.
The question is, since it was so obvious, why didn't they do it ?
They are too weather dependent, way too limited 'time on station', and the effective sensor suites were, let's just say few, a few cameras, but essentially just a few Mk-1's.
I always wondered why neither AMSA nor the ATSB asked NASA for help very early on.
They could have deployed one or more of their ER-2's and or one or more of their WB-57's.
They have both the range and more importantly the endurance 'on station' for the job if operated out of RAAF Pearce.
In the first few weeks after the crash, a debris field would have still been reasonably confined, and the cameras in those things can see golf balls on a green from FL650 plus.
Not only that, but their camera swath width is impressive, and even though cloud was an issue, missions could have been designed to eventually cover every square inch of the relevant ocean areas.
The question is, since it was so obvious, why didn't they do it ?