BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The search for the Argentine submarine that disappeared with 44 crew members on board last Wednesday will continue "until it appears," the Argentine Navy said Sunday.
"We will continue to redouble our efforts tomorrow, day and night, looking by air, sea and underwater until the submarine appears," said captain Gabriel Galeazzi, spokesman for the Navy, in a press release.
The submarine, ARA San Juan, lost contact when carrying out a surveillance mission near the southern city of Puerto Madryn in Argentina's exclusive economic zone in the South Atlantic.
"We have not been able to geolocate the seven satellite calls registered in Argentine naval bases that could have come from the vessel, because they were very short and very weak to provide a reliable location point to be located," Galeazzi told reporters at the naval base of Mar del Plata, where ARA San Juan was based.
Foreign efforts have been joining the search, the Navy said.
Two U.S. airplanes arrived, along with a submarine rescue squadron composed of a mini-submarine and a remote submersible vehicle.
A P-3 exploration aircraft from the Brazilian Air Force arrived and a P-295 exploration aircraft from the Chilean Navy have already been put at the disposal of Argentina. British and French vessels are also actively hunting for the submarine.
The search operation is being led by Argentine Defense Minister Oscar Aguad, who is keeping President Mauricio Macri constantly informed of the operation.
The president stated that everything possible would be done to find the missing submarine.
"We are committed to using all national and international resources that are necessary to find the submarine ARA San Juan as soon as possible," Macri tweeted this week.
He added, "We are in contact with the families of the crew of the missing submarine ARA San Juan to inform and support them. We share their concern and that of all Argentines."
The ARA San Juan is a TR-1700 submarine manufactured in Germany, and joined the Argentine Navy in 1985.
