Images of the ocean floor will move from ground radar to sonar . The Bluefin-21 is equipped with side - scan sonar . And once the debris field is found , investigators would turn to remotely operated vehicles . An intact vehicle would complicate the search process , CNN also says .
Probe of the ocean floor will move from ping locators to sonar . The Bluefin-21 is equipped with side-scan sonar . And once the debris field is found , investigators would turn to remotely operated vehicles . An intact plane could complicate the search effort , CNN analyst says .