The Edward C. Lin mural mystery

MH370 : A fictional scenario | Edward C. Lin | MH370 | Mural | Russia & China | Sergio Cavaiuolo analysis | TR-3B | Video presentation |

MH370 satellite & drone footage, 8 March 2014, YouTube.

Contents

1. Mystery
2. Answer
3. US - China collaboration
4. Wizards
5. P-8A & drone deployment
6. References

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1. A mystery

Associated with the ongoing mystery surrounding the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai on 8 March 2014, and subsequent release by US Navy Lt. Commander Edward C. Lin of a satellite and drone video of the teleportation of the plane, US researcher Ashton Forbes located a 2024 video by Lin - under the name Edward Siraya - promoting his new home care business (Siraya 2024). Within the video the following image was presented, being one of a few therein relating to his 20 years service with the US Navy between 1999-2018.

Original image from Siraya 2024. Source: X

On 20 February 2025 Forbes posted on X / Twitter the blurry image of what looks like a group of US military personnel gathered together in association with an unknown event, such as a conference or delegation. Forbes sought information on its precise location, date, and the names of those pictured. The only person the present writer could identify was a youngish Edward Lin, located on the front row, fourth from the left, and dressed in a dark blue US Navy dress uniform. Amongst the 24 individuals present - 23 men and 1 woman - a variety of uniforms were seen. The colours included dark blue (Navy - 8), blue (Airforce - 7), and dark teal (Army - 9), revealing that all three arms of the US military were present. Many appeared to be high ranking officials. The location was a mystery, as was the date. 

A search for answers has led the present writer into the area of the technology behind the teleportation of the plane, and possible deep links between the US and Chinese military relation to development of such technologies.

Almost immediately upon posting of the X query, various theories and suggestions were put forward as to the origin of the photograph, most of which focussed on the intriguing metallic mural located behind the participants. Many people suggested that the imagery related to the orbs seen in the MH370 videos (illustrated above) and a wormhole, though it was likely the motifs were of a more pedestrian origin. The main information initially suggested was as follows:

* Location

- Suggestions: One of the rooms in the United Nations Headquarters, New York, such as where the Security Council meet, and conference room 1; or a room in the Russian Department of Defence Headquarters, Moscow, due to the belief that the text on the mural looked to be Russian Cyrillic. Locations in Mexico, South America and Switzerland were also suggested, though no photographs of the mural in situ were provided to support the statements. One posting, however, did do that, and revealed a Chinese location for the image.

- Actuality: Hefei, China (see detailed description below).

* Date

- Suggestions: Nothing was offered, apart from the fact that it would have been prior to 2014, and perhaps associated with Lin's time as a Washington-based Congress Liaison Officer for the US Navy, though his technical expertise may also have been reason for his presence.

- Actuality: Unknown - prior to 2014, and most likely late 2000s through to 2012.

* People shown

- Suggestions: Apart from Edward Lin, the blurriness of the image made it difficult to identify the other participants, even using AI such as ChatGPT and Grok (X).

- Actuality: Only Edward C. Lin at this stage. Two Navy Rear-Admirals are present.

In reviewing the search results for the Forbes posting on X, it was clear that a lot of people were using AI such as ChatGPT and Elon Musk's Grok to come up with suggestions, and moving beyond simple Google searches. Of course, some of the results were off-the-mark, and this was to be expected due to the inherent problem of the image as presented. At the end of the day, a normal search engine search provided a result.

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2. An answer

A search on Chinese language search engine Baidu by X member @96tokens revealed the following image of a copper mural or curtain wall apparently located at the Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP), Chinese Academy of Science (ASIPP), located on Science Island, west Hefei:

Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Hefei. Source: X

It is interesting to note that the US Navy has a Naval Research Laboratory with a Plasma Physics Division. It is therefore possible that a high-level visit to support ongoing collaboration between the US and China took place here at some point during the early 2000s. Despite this Hefei location for the mural being revealed, commenters continued to propose Grok-suggestions, and ignore the information provided as to this Chinese source. The original Baidu search indicated that the metallic copper mural was made by the Tianbao Baohua (Hefei) Engineering Company of Shanghai, China. This would suggest that it is relatively recent (i.e. post 1982). Tom Bayer (@tombay09) posted on X a picture of the mural which also included part of the floor mosaic, which appeared to feature the Star of Lakshmi:

Floor motif.

The mural is therefore not an orb-related work of art, but more of modern Chinese political art, promoting peace (as in the numerous doves depicted) and technological advancement. The full meaning of the symbolism and motifs within the mural has not as yet been revealed. However, what is more important is the fact that it reveals like collaboration between the US and Chinese military and research sectors.

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3. US - China collaboration

The discovery of the mural's Chinese origins begs the question: Precisely when did a large delegation of US military officials, including Edward C. Lin, visit the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Science at Hefei? No specific answer has been found to date, though there were obviously occasions where official visits to China by US Navy and other military personnel took place, either in secret or open. One is known from 2016.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson reviews an honor guard aboard a Chinese People's Liberation Army frigate during a visit to Qingdao in July 2016.

Edward C. Lin had a background in advance technologies as they applied to naval operations, so he may have been involved in a top secret delegation's visiting China to discuss shared research. For example, following basic training, between March 2000 and February 2002 he attended the Navy’s nuclear training schools in Charleston, South Carolina, and went on to take a leadership role in the development and operation of advanced signals intelligence (i.e. spy satellites) which by 2014 had given the US complete coverage of the planet to serve their strategic initiatives. For decades the US and other Western nations engaged in collaborative research with Chinese academic institutions such as the Institute of Plasma Physics at Hefei. Much of this continues to the present day. This specific plasma physics collaboration - if it existed - apparently only halted in 2024 when a restriction was placed, for example, on the Hefei National Laboratory for Quantum Information Science, as such a collaboration was now seen as a "national security threat" by the Biden administration (Taylor 2024). The previous year the Hefei Institute of Plasma Physics had achieved a breakthrough in regards to development of a fusion reactor (XinHua 2023). All of this ties in with the suggested reason behind the MH370 incident, namely, that the Chinese were attempting to acquired advanced US technology in the form of superconductor chips and related development personnel, and that the Americans decided to teach the Chinese a lesson by taking control of the plane and teleporting it to Diego Garcia, thus forestalling the attempt to hijack people, information and samples.

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4. The Wizards

By February 2014 Edward C. Lin had moved up the ranks of the US Navy. He had acquired knowledge of an array of technological issues, including nuclear, and political knowledge arising out of a two year stint as Congress liaison. By the time MH370 went missing in March, Lin was serving as a department head for one of the Navy’s most secretive units – Special Projects Squadron 2 “Wizards” (VPU-2) – based at Marine Corps Air Base Kaneohe, Hawaii. The Wizards flew specialized versions of the service’s 50 year old P-3C Orion and the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft (a modified 737-800) used for signals and electronic intelligence gathering (Grant). Included in the new updated package, alongside a new array of digital surveillance technologies and systems, was the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton, an unmanned aircraft system (drone) that provided intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR&T) and was able to fly at up to 60,000 ft for nearly 30 hours. This is likely the drone seen in the second MH370 teleportation video.

Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton drone.

The P-8A was an integrated package able to make use of a variety of technical data to produce the MH370 videos. It provided a link between the satellite based technologies and the operational ground, air and sea-based manned and unmanned forces. The Wizards were not simply located in Hawaii. On 10 March 2014, just two days after the plane went missing, a US Navy press release reported:

The U.S. Navy still has one maritime patrol aircraft, a P-3C Orion from the Grey Knights of Patrol Squadron 46 (VP-46), on station flying from Subang Jaya, Malaysia.

On 13 March 2014 the following was noted in regards to the latter's use in the search for the missing plane:

The P-8A Poseidon will move in to the area March 15, 7th Fleet said. This move adds the P-8A's enhanced technology and greater range to the search efforts while maximizing planned maintenance and guarding against air crew fatigue for both aircraft. "The P-8A is the most advanced long range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft in the world. A true multi-mission aircraft, it also provides superior maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance," the 7th Fleet update said.

Two P-8A Poseidon airplanes from Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 are being utilized for the international effort to locate Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. VP-16 is deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (US Navy Communications, March 2014)

Lt. Cmdr. David Mims (left) and Lt. j.g. Brent Nelsen, naval aviators assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 16, perform preflight checks in a P-8A Poseidon, before going on a mission supporting the international effort to locate Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. (US Navy Communications, March 2014)

During this period the US Navy had carried out regular exercises with the Malaysian military under the annual CARAT (Co-operation Afloat Readiness and Training) process, with assets stationed at Subang Jaya / Kuantan. The above information by implication places Lin on the scene of the MH370 disappearance, or at least in a command position concerning deployment of the Wizards' Orions and Poseidons during February - March 2014.

The MH370 satellite video was uploaded to the internet on 12 March 2014, just four days after the plane went missing. The video was obviously made by a member of the Wizards group - either Lin or a member with technical expertise to access the source files and produce, in the case of the satellite video, a 3D rendering. Whether Lin then provided it to somebody to upload to the internet, and also did the same for the drone video, or some person external to the Wizards did that of their own volition, is unclear. The fact that Lin was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment for the uploads suggests that he was ultimately responsible, even though he somewhat strangely continued to proclaimed his innocence through to appeal.

There is no doubt that Edward Lin is a man of compassion. He very likely sought to reveal to the world the truth regarding the disappearance of MH370, namely, that THE AMERICANS DID IT. Hopefully the circumstances around this significant event will see the light of day at some stage, and Lin will be recognised as a hero because, if not for his actions, we may never have known the true fate of MH370, and families and friends would never have got close to the truth as it now exists in 2025, despite the official silence and denials and pursuit of a pointless search in the southern Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia.

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5. P-8A & drone deployment summary

The following January 2014 article from Naval Technology outlines the deployment of the P-8A and associated Triton drone by the US Navy (Grant 2014). These two were used in the MH370 interception operation and were vital in the creation of the two videos.

The P-8 Poseidon adventure: Delivering a new era of maritime aircraft

The US Navy's new maritime warfare aircraft, the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, will reach Initial Operational Capability by the end of year. But with the ever-increasing utility of unmanned systems, why is the US Navy still investing billions in a manned aircraft?

When it is deployed, the P-8A will be at the centre of a unique network of maritime capabilities. For the first time in 50 years the US Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) is transitioning to a new aircraft type. Since 1962, the MPRF has relied on the Lockheed P-3 Orion for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) operations. Now, the P-3s are reaching the end of their lifecycle after an unprecedented fifty years in service. The replacement will be Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon, which won the Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft programme contract in 2004. A total of 117 P-8As will eventually be delivered and are expected to remain in the US Navy for 25 years.

With the exponential growth of unmanned air systems (UAS) and the US military’s focus on unmanned capabilities across all domains, why has the US Navy and Boeing invested so much in the P-8A – a manned platform with operational concepts that date back 50 years? The answer lies in the P-8’s significant operational capabilities, which includes UAS networked operations, and how Boeing has reduced development and manufacturing costs to meet the US Navy’s stringent demands.

The full package – P-8A operational capability

"Since 1962, the MPRF has relied on the Lockheed P-3 Orion for Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare operations."

When it is deployed, the P-8A will be at the centre of a unique network of maritime capabilities which will share data over military standard and internet protocol links. The aircraft is fitted with Raytheon’s AN/APY-10 multifunction radar which can provide high-resolution radar images in maritime, littoral and overland environments. The P-8 will carry anti-ship missiles, depth charges and torpedoes as well as more than 100 deployable sonobuoys for submarine detection. This, along with the on-board systems, will ‘close the kill chain’ and provide crucial data to everyone on the network.

As an adjunct to the P-8A, the US Navy is developing the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) UAS system, which is intended to enhance maritime surveillance capabilities. This will come in the form of the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C ‘Triton’ – the naval version of the popular RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The land-based BAMS system is an autonomous system that provides a persistent ISR capability using a multisensor mission payload. Working alongside the P-8A, the MQ-4C will be integral to the MPRF Family of Systems airborne ISR recapitalisation strategy. The MQ-4C’s ability to fly at 60,000ft for nearly 30 hours non-stop means the US Navy’s manned platforms can focus on their core missions, namely ASW and ASUW. The UAV provides continuous data for the P-8A and other networked capabilities across vast portions of the sea. This capability was unthinkable only a few years ago.

"Pairing the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft with the P-8 Poseidon will allow the US Navy to use those systems for a variety of missions that couldn’t be accomplished with a single aircraft type," explains Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton programme director Mike Mackey. "The world’s oceans are very large and require a surveillance system like Triton to be able to monitor large areas for long periods of time. This will allow the P-8 to focus more on specific areas and targets of interest. Unmanned aircraft systems, and specifically the Triton UAS, provide naval commanders with the ability to conduct surveillance missions for long periods of time. Most manned aircraft are limited to the endurance of their aircrews, which could be up to ten hours during a very long mission. Triton can fly missions for longer than a day at a time and allows naval commanders to use their manned aircraft more efficiently," Mackey adds.

The MQ-4C will also feed imagery and other data by satellite into a navy ground segment consisting of a mission control element, a launch and recovery element, and a US Navy-designed Tactical Auxiliary Ground Station.

In June 2013, the Triton made its first flight at Northrop’s Palmdale site in California. The US Navy has ordered a total of 68 aircraft and hopes to achieve IOC in 2016. Boeing – themselves a manufacturer of a number of UAVs – knows the benefits of using this technology but admits it still cannot compete with a dedicated manned platform in this domain.

"When you look at the payload that the P-8 brings versus any of the unmanned sensors out there – the unmanned are generally limited to one or two sensors – the P-8 brings the full package," says Boeing’s P-8 Poseidon business development manager Bob Gift. "The UAV providing the additional sensor capability and providing data back, or covering an area that can bring the weapons to bear that the P-8 brings, is an adjunct mission that is valuable and viable. But for the P-8 itself – especially with the focus on the ASW mission – having the sonobuoys, torpedoes and also the sensor operators to evaluate what those systems are providing is suited for a manned role. You can’t un-man everything," Gift adds.

A first for derivative manufacturing

The P-8A – a highly modified Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) commercial aircraft – benefits from using an existing assembly infrastructure. Unlike many new manned and unmanned programmes for the US military, the development and test phase for the Poseidon has been relatively short and remains on budget and on time.

"The P-8 will carry anti-ship missiles, depth charges, torpedoes and more than 100 deployable sonobuoys for submarine detection."

The aircraft is being built alongside the 737NG in what the company calls the ‘One Boeing’ approach. The ‘In-Line’ process means the P-8 is built like any other 737NG and modifications are made as it moves through the production line. But unlike the NG, the P-8A sports a number of extra antennas, a windowless fuselage and even a bomb bay. The P-8As fly ‘over the hill’ to Boeing Fields once they are assembled and mission systems are installed and tested. It uses the stronger wing found on the 737-900 so it can carry an array of wing-mounted weaponry and also withstand the steep turns and high rates of descent required for maritime combat flying. A third production line was opened in 2008 at Boeing’s Renton factory in Washington, specifically for the construction of the P-8A and the P-8I, the derivative destined for the Indian Navy. Importantly, this process saves money and time and is a significant step-change from older military derivatives such as the KC-135 air tanker and E-3 Sentry – based on the Boeing 707 – which would involve disassembling and modifying the aircraft at dedicated centres.

Currently, the aircraft are being built in increments as part of a series of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contracts while testing is still carried out. The first LRIP contract for six aircraft – Lot 1 – was awarded to Boeing by the Department of Defense (DoD) in August 2010. The latest increment – Lot 4 – is a US$2.0bn contract for the delivery of 13 P-8As announced on July 31 2013. This brings the total of P-8As now ordered to 37, of which 11 have been delivered to the US Navy.

Efficiencies and driving down cost

"The development and test phase for the Poseidon has been relatively short and remains on budget and on time."

According to Boeing, the P-8 programme has created a new business model – using commercial platforms and production capability in military markets – which gives them a competitive advantage. Importantly, the efficiencies achieved on the 737NG line are automatically transferred to the P-8A line, which ultimately drives down cost.

"[The P-8A] programme has exceeded all expectations – when you look at most government and DoD-run programmes they usually start running long, they get kicked down the road," explains Gift. "They are years late and have huge cost overruns as they are trying to tweak, modify and meet emerging requirements. Whereas for the P-8 programme, it is on schedule and on price, which has enabled us to move forward through the low-rate initial production programme," he adds.

The move to FRP, which is expected at the end of year, is not likely to impact the pace of assembly at Renton. As the P-8A transitions from a development programme to a production programme, many of the engineers who have helped with testing and developing will be reassigned to other projects. Boeing is hoping to assemble at least one P-8A and P-8I per month with all 37 LRIP aircraft delivered by 2016. But the In-Line process has not been without its problems.

Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office – an audit body of US Congress – said in its yearly ‘Defence Acquisitions’ report: "The programme encountered minor anomalies and maintenance issues with each of the first five production aircraft during the formal acceptance process. As a result, the Defense Contract Management Agency requested that Boeing conduct more pre-acceptance testing to catch and fix problems earlier."

Deploying the P-8A and future orders

The first squadron to receive the P-8A was the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), VP-30, based in Jacksonville, Florida, which will help train aircrew on the transition from the P-3C Orion. The FRS, along with the MPRF Weapons School and P-8A Fleet Introduction Team, has facilitated the transitioning of three fleet squadrons: VP-16, VP-5 and VP-45. It is hoped VP-16 will achieve IOC by December and deploy to the Pacific region with a full complement of P-8s.

"The first squadron to receive the P-8A was the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), VP-30, based in Jacksonville, Florida. The aircraft has been extremely reliable. The mission systems have performed well and the aircrews are rapidly becoming more adept at flying and employing the aircraft, while the maintenance team is developing new skills required to repair and maintain this modern aircraft," said US Navy Patrol and Reconnaissance Group Commander Lt. Commander Gabe Mauldin.

Since its inaugural flight in 2009, the P-8A has undergone a stringent test programme. Eight test aircraft – six flying and two static – have carried out various test missions, including coordinated training between the P-8A and US Navy guided missile destroyers, deployment of sonobuoys and the successful live test-firing AGM-84D Block IC Harpoon anti-ship missile and MK 54 torpedo. But complications have arisen as a result of Boeing’s decision to manufacture the aircraft while testing is ongoing. A DoD Office of Inspector General audit report in June 2013 said Boeing would have to address structural fatigue and overall mission capability concerns that had been raised during the testing phase. As a result, the decision to begin full-rate production (FRP) was delayed and the LRIP Lot 4 contract was awarded instead.

"While there have been many challenges as the P-8A executes test and fleet introduction simultaneously, the P-8A programme continues to be a model of effective planning and execution," Mauldin added.

In July 2013, the P-8A successfully completed its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation – a major milestone for the programme. A US Navy report said the aircraft was ‘operationally effective, operationally suitable, and ready for fleet introduction.’ With other countries also showing an interest in the P-8 Poseidon, estimates suggest production numbers could top 200. Australia has already allocated funding to the P-8 programme and eight units are expected to be ordered to replace their own ageing P-3 fleet. The United Kingdom’s next Strategic Defence Review is also around the corner, which will kick-start the process of acquiring a new maritime patrol aircraft after the RAF’s Nimrod MRA4 was cancelled in 2010. Again, the P-8 Poseidon will be a strong contender, especially with the UK’s current preference for Anglo-American commonality. The advances Boeing has demonstrated, in the P-8A’s development, manufacture and operational capability, will give the aircraft a good grounding to replicate the P-3 Orion’s success and operational lifespan.

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6. References

CSET, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei Institutes of Physical Science: Recruiting Outstanding Domestic and Foreign Talent [12 June 2017] [Translation], Centre for Security and Emerging Technology, 1 July 2020.

Florida Times Union, Navy's P-8A Poseidon continues MH370 search from Australia, Florida Times Union, 26 March 2014. [Plane moves its base from Malaysia to Perth, Australia on 18 March.]

-----, VP-16 "War Eagles" home from historic deployment, Florida Times Union, 16 July 2014. [First P-8A Poseidon squadron, deployed to Okinawa on 29 November 2013 and involved in MH370 search, before returned to Florida in July 2014.]

Grant, The P-8 Poseidon adventure: Delivering a new era of maritime aircraft, Naval Technology, 27 January 2014.

Plesse, Emily, Malaysia Airlines MH370: ABC reporter flies with US Poseidon crew searching for missing plane, ABC News, Sydney, 24 March 2014.

Siraya, Edward James, Our Why: The Owner, Edward Siraya, Home Helpers Hanover, 27 October 2024, YouTube, duration: 3.52 minutes.

Taylor, Jacob, US restricts exports to top quantum labs in China, AIP - Science Policy News, 10 July 2024.

US Navy, USS Pinckney, P-3C Aircraft to Assist in Malaysian Air Search [press release], US Navy Newsroom, 8 March 2014.

-----, USS Kidd Joins USS Pinckney in Flight MH370 Search Effort [press release], US Navy Newsroom, 10 March 2014.

-----, Seventh Fleet continues search for Malaysian Airlines MH370 [press release], US Navy Newsroom, 11 March 2014. [A P-3C Orion searches in the Gulf of Thailand and Strait of Malacca.]

-----, 7th Fleet adjusts efforts in support of MH370 search [press release], US Navy Newsroom, 13 March 2014.

-----, USS Kidd expands flight MH370 search into Indian Ocean [press release], US Navy Newsroom, 15 March 2014.

-----, US 7th Fleet adds second P-8 Poseidon to MH370 search [press release], US Navy Newsroom, 27 March 2014. [NB: By this date the search focus was on the southern Indian Ocean off the Australian coast.]

XinHua, China's "artificial sun" achieves breakthrough, key step toward fusion reactor, XinHua, 13 April 2023.

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MH370 : A fictional scenario | Edward C. Lin | MH370 | Mural | Russia & China | Sergio Cavaiuolo analysis | TR-3B | Video presentation |

Last updated: 6 March 2025

Michael Organ, Australia