US devices to aid search for MH370 black box

An Australian Navy vessel has been equipped with two different devices to help locate the flight data recorders from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, as a US Navy captain says finding surface debris remains a "critical" first step.

The US has provided the specialist equipment and operators for the Ocean Shield vessel, which is expected to leave for the search area off the West Australian coast on Monday.

Captain Mark Matthews from the US Navy says the first device is a towed pinger locator, which listens for acoustic emissions from the flight data recorders, and the second is an underwater vehicle.

Ten ships and as many aircraft continue to search a massive area in the Indian Ocean west of Perth, three weeks after the plane disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

more: US devices to aid search for MH370 black box

An Australian Navy vessel has been equipped with two different devices to help locate the flight data recorders from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, as a US Navy captain says finding surface debris remains a "critical" first step.

The US has provided the specialist equipment and operators for the Ocean Shield vessel, which is expected to leave for the search area off the West Australian coast on Monday.

Captain Mark Matthews from the US Navy says the first device is a towed pinger locator, which listens for acoustic emissions from the flight data recorders, and the second is an underwater vehicle.

Ten ships and as many aircraft continue to search a massive area in the Indian Ocean west of Perth, three weeks after the plane disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.