The U.S. Pacific Command has ordered the Pacific Fleet to move a black box locator into the region where an intensive search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is under way.

In a statement released Sunday, the U.S. Navy stressed that the deployment of the locator, namely the Towed Pinger Locator 25 (TPL-25), was only a "precautionary measure in case a debris field is located."

If a debris field is confirmed, the locator "will add a significant advantage in locating the missing ... aircraft's black box," read the statement.

The TPL-25 system, according to the statement, is able to locate black boxes of downed aircraft "down to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet (6 km) anywhere in the world."

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