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Latest information on search for Malaysian plane

The Associated Press
  • Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force farewell their P-3C Orion as it taxis from the Royal Australian Air Force Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
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    Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force farewell their P-3C Orion as it taxis from the Royal Australian Air Force Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
  • Commander Hidetsugu Iwamasa, left, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force talks with Royal Australian Air Force Group Commander Craig Heath before a Japanese P-3C Orion's departure from the RAAF Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
    2/4

    Commander Hidetsugu Iwamasa, left, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force talks with Royal Australian Air Force Group Commander Craig Heath before a Japanese P-3C Orion's departure from the RAAF Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
  • Relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at left and right speak with a person in charge of security to give journalists access to a meeting in Beijing, China, Monday, March 24, 2014. Rain was expected to hamper the hunt Monday for debris suspected of being from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, as the United States prepared to move a specialized device that can locate black boxes into the south Indian Ocean region. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
    3/4

    Relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at left and right speak with a person in charge of security to give journalists access to a meeting in Beijing, China, Monday, March 24, 2014. Rain was expected to hamper the hunt Monday for debris suspected of being from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, as the United States prepared to move a specialized device that can locate black boxes into the south Indian Ocean region. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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  • Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel wave to their P-3C Orion as it taxis from the Royal Australian Air Force Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
    4/4

    Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel wave to their P-3C Orion as it taxis from the Royal Australian Air Force Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force farewell their P-3C Orion as it taxis from the Royal Australian Air Force Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
Commander Hidetsugu Iwamasa, left, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force talks with Royal Australian Air Force Group Commander Craig Heath before a Japanese P-3C Orion's departure from the RAAF Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)
Relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at left and right speak with a person in charge of security to give journalists access to a meeting in Beijing, China, Monday, March 24, 2014. Rain was expected to hamper the hunt Monday for debris suspected of being from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, as the United States prepared to move a specialized device that can locate black boxes into the south Indian Ocean region. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel wave to their P-3C Orion as it taxis from the Royal Australian Air Force Pearce Base to commence a search for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, in Perth, Australia, Monday, March 24, 2014. Satellite images released by Australia and China had earlier identified possible debris in an area that may be linked to the disappearance of the flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. (AP Photo/Paul Kane, Pool)

Chinese and Australian search planes spotted several objects in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday that could be debris from the missing Malaysian jetliner. A summary of the latest information in the investigation:

THE OBJECTS

An Australian P3 Orion aircraft has located two objects in the search zone some 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) southwest of Australia — the first grey or green and circular, the second orange and rectangular. An Australian navy supply ship, the HMAS Success, could reach the objects within several hours or by Tuesday morning, Malaysia's Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.

A Chinese plane crew, meanwhile, spotted two large objects and several smaller ones spread across several square kilometers (miles), Xinhua News Agency reported. At least one of the items — a white, square-shaped object — was captured on a camera aboard the plane. A Chinese icebreaker, the Snow Dragon, was headed toward the area and would arrive Tuesday morning.

BLACK BOX LOCATOR

The U.S. Pacific command said it was sending a Towed Pinger Locator to the region in case a debris field is found. The equipment, which is pulled behind a vessel at slow speeds, has highly sensitive listening capability that can detect "pings" from a plane's so-called black box down to a depth of 20,000 feet (6,100 meters).

An Australian navy support vessel, the Ocean Shield, equipped with acoustic detection equipment, was also moving into the search zone and would arrive in three or four days.

SEARCH EQUIPMENT

Australia, China, the U.S., Japan and New Zealand have all contributed planes or ships to the search effort in the southern Indian Ocean. At least 14 planes and nine ships are involved or headed toward the search zone.