SINGAPORE - Singapore is ready to deploy two systems to detect plane underwater and is now waiting for the go-ahead from Indonesia.
On Monday, Indonesia accepted Singapore's offer to send the two systems and four specialists from the Transport Ministry's Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to help in search operations for QZ8501.
The system comprises a hydrophone which is submerged and then rotated 360 degrees underwater, said the AAIB's senior investigator Steven Teo.
The hydrophone is able "listen" for the pinging sounds emitted by the aircraft black box, or flight recorder's underwater locator beacon (ULB), and allow specialists to triangulate an approximate location where the ULB might be.
"With this information we will then forward it to our Indonesian counterparts for them to follow-up," said Mr Teo.
"Things that could be done include sending divers to locations with the highest probability to physically look for the flight data recorder."