The Search for El Faro with Orion

BAHAMAS (Oct. 27, 2015) Contractors from Phoenix International Incorporated and U.S. military employees prepare and deploy the Orion system aboard the fleet ocean tug USNS Apache (T-ATF 172). Orion is a towed side scan sonar that fulfills the US Navy's deep-water search requirement down to a maximum depth of 20,000 feet of seawater. USNS Apache departed Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 19 to begin searching for wreckage from the missing U.S. Flagged merchant vessel El Faro. The ship is equipped with several pieces of underwater search equipment, including a voyage data recorder locator, side-scan sonar and an underwater remote operated vehicle. The Navy's mission will be to first locate the ship, and if possible, to retrieve the voyage data recorder - commonly known as a black box. (U.S. Navy video/Released)