MH370 search: Aussie officials mull timing of underwater robot launch

This handout image taken on April 1, 2014 and received on April 10, 2014 from the US Navy shows the Bluefin 21, Artemis autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) being hoisted back aboard the Australia's Ocean Shield after a successful buoyancy test. - AFP

SYDNEY: Australian officials leading the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean are weighing on Monday when to deploy an underwater robot to aid in the hunt for the missing plane.

MH370 disappeared soon after taking off on March 8 from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, triggering a multinational search that is now focused on the Indian Ocean.