BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The search mission for an Argentinean submarine, missing since Nov. 15, broadened on Tuesday thanks to the entry of more international resources.
In recent hours, planes from Germany, France, Colombia and Peru joined the search while Uruguay sent another naval vessel to broaden the search area in the South Atlantic.
This means the search now involves 14 planes and 10 vessels, as Brazil, Chile, the United States, and UK have also sent aid.
The ARA San Juan submarine, with 44 crewmen on board, last communicated with their command base on Nov. 15.
Naval spokesperson, Captain Gabriel Galeazzi, said on Tuesday the search is now happening over "480,000 square kilometers."
Galeazzi said that it was "an arduous task, it is not simple and takes time. We must have patience, the area is being covered."
The ARA San Juan is a TR-1700 submarine manufactured in Germany, commissioned by the Argentine Navy in 1985.
The search and rescue operation is being led by Defense Minister Oscar Aguad.
Speaking at a forum on open government in Buenos Aires, Argentina's President Mauricio Macri said that "in these difficult hours, I did not want to start without sending once again all my support to the families of the crew of the ARA San Juan submarine."
