A unified command has been set up, consisting of the United States Coast Guard, the United States Navy, Canadian Armed Forces and Coast Guard, and the Titan’s parent company, Ocean Gate Expeditions.
The five people on board the missing submersible close to the wreck of the Titanic have “about 40 hours of breathable air” left, the US Coast Guard has said.
In a 6pm update on Tuesday, Captain Jamie Frederick said the search for the vessel, called Titan, had not yielded any results so far.
An ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) has been deployed at the site and has a camera on board.
Several research vessels with “ROV capabilities are making preparations to join the efforts”, Mr Frederick said.
A unified command has been set up, consisting of “expertise from the United States Coast Guard, the United States Navy, Canadian Armed Forces and Coast Guard, and the Titan’s parent company, Ocean Gate Expeditions”, Mr Frederick told reporters.
Since Sunday, combined search efforts have covered an area of 7,600 square miles, he added.
A Canadian P-3 aircraft is conducting a six-hour search and several C-130 aircraft and another P-3 are scheduled to fly on Tuesday afternoon and evening, he said.
The combination of a surface search and a subsurface search makes it an “incredibly complex operation”, Mr Frederick said.
The Titan is sealed with bolts from the outside, which means the occupants cannot escape without assistance even if it surfaces.