Modern Mysteries

Underwater drone swarm to aid in new hunt for missing flight MH370

By T.K. Randall
December 7, 2025

Image: Malaysia Airlines
Credit: Arpingstone / (PD) Exactly what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 after it took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8th, 2014 still remains one of the most enduring mysteries in aviation history.

The plane had been heading to Beijing Capital International Airport in China, but after a series of unexplained direction changes and the seemingly deliberate disabling of its transponder, the aircraft - along with all its passengers and crew - disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again.

What followed was one of the most extensive search and rescue operations the world had ever seen, with teams from multiple countries scouring vast areas of open ocean for any sign of the plane's wreckage.

It soon became clear, however, that the mystery of what happened to MH370 would not be easily solved. Now, over 11 years on from the plane's disappearance, Texas-based firm Ocean Infinity has announced that it will be sending swarms of underwater drones into the southern Indian Ocean in a renewed attempt to solve the mystery once and for all.

The operation is particularly high risk for the firm because it is operating on a "no find, no fee" basis.

If the search succeeds, the company will receive $70 million.

The precise search zone is being kept secret for now, but it was reportedly calculated using a combination of satellite data and ocean current simulations.

While Ocean Infinity is confident that its latest technology will be able to cover a lot more of the region than previous search efforts, it still feels a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Source: Scientific American

Tags: MH370