US satellite behind discovery of suspected debris images of missing Malaysian jet

A US satellite has reportedly provided the satellite images, which might show debris of the ill-fated Malaysian Airline passenger jet.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority general manager John Young announced the details of what had been spotted, but he didn't reveal the source behind the images.

Although, the Australian authorities dodged media questions about the origin of the images, but the satellite's owners, the US company DigitalGlobe, were keen to disclose their work, Sydney Morning Herald reports.

According to the report, Australian authorities' tight-lipped nature highlights a long-standing syndrome, that they are hyper protective of US intelligence and its sources, even more protective than the Americans themselves.

The search for the ill-fated FlightMH370 has already stretched to 13 days and so far the satellite images provide plausible lead showing sighting of potential debris in the Indian Ocean 2500 kilometres south-west of Perth.

The report said that the Australian government gave first priority to Malaysian authorities in informing about the development, because Malaysia has the primary claim, as it was their plane, then China because of the number of Chinese passengers and then the US because it was a Boeing.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott phoned Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak about the development, who thanked him for the search effort and asked to be kept closely informed about further leads.

Australia had dispatched four Orion P3 maritime surveillance planes, while New Zealand had sent another and the US had contributed a Poseidon submarine- hunting plane.

The FlightMH370 went missing on March 8th after taking off from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board.