KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 ― Specially-outfitted ships are already on their way to the southern Indian Ocean to resume the search for missing flight MH370, the Malaysian transport minister said today.

Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said two vessels owned by Fugro Survey Pty Ltd ― which was awarded the tender to carry out the search over a 60,000 square kilometre area ― will be despatched, each equipped with towed deep-water vehicles used specifically for deep sea searches.

“The vessels will scan the sea floor utilising sophisticated side scan sonar, multi-beam echo sounders and video cameras with the hope of locating and identifying aircraft debris,” he said in a statement.

Liow said the ship, Fugro Discovery, has already left its berth in the United Kingdom and is en-route to Perth, while the Fugro Equator is already in the search area compiling bathymetric data and will serve as the second search vessel once that task is completed.

The Malaysian navy will also despatch naval survey ship KD Mutiara to aid in the bathymetric survey in the second half of this month, while KD Bunga Mas, which was in the area since April, will continue to act as a support vessel for the search teams.

Also aiding the search is Chinese vessel, Zhu Kezhen, which has been continuously surveying the seabed in the search area, while Malaysian oil giant Petronas has volunteered to deploy underwarter search equipment and a support vessel for deep-water searches.

Liow said he will be flying to Australia on August 19 for a meeting with the country's deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and all agencies and teams involved in the search and recovery operation, followed by a tripartite ministerial meeting between China, Australia and Malaysia.

“After five months of searching for the missing plane, we would like to assure the next of kin of MH370 that our commitment to the search for this flight has remained consistent and has strengthened,” he said.

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from radars in the twilight hours of March 8 this year, shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

The Boeing 777-200 jetliner was carrying 239 passengers and crew, and is believed to have ditched somewhere within a 60,000 square kilometre area of the south Indian Ocean, some 1,600 kilometres west of Perth.

The search efforts are currently headed by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.