US warship to assist in AirAsia plane search

The US has sent a warship, USS Sampson, to the Java Sea for aiding in the search for the missing AirAsia plane, officials said.

The USS Sampson was expected to arrive Tuesday in the search zone for flight QZ8501, which lost contact Sunday with 162 people on board, Xinhua reported Tuesday, citing a statement issued by US Navy.

"The US Navy is working closely with the government of Indonesia to identify additional surface or airborne capabilities that best assist their search efforts," the Navy's 7th Fleet said in a statement.

The State Department earlier said the help was at the request of Indonesian government.

"Our embassy in Jakarta is in close contact with Indonesian officials, and Monday, we received a request for assistance locating the airplane," said Jeffrey Rathke, a State Department spokesman.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the assistance "could include air, surface and sub-surface detection capabilities."

Indonesia, Malaysia and several other countries are searching the AirAsia plane, which went missing while flying from Surabaya in Indonesia's east Java to Singapore Sunday, after the pilots requested a change of flight plan in a stormy weather.