Helicopter Carrying US Marines Crashes Off Australian Coast: Sky

A military helicopter carrying about 20 US marines crashed off the coast of Darwin in northern Australia on Sunday, Sky News Australia reported.

(Bloomberg) — A military helicopter carrying about 20 US marines crashed off the coast of Darwin in northern Australia on Sunday, Sky News Australia reported.

The v-22 Osprey went down close to Melville Island while performing drills which involved military personnel from the US, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste, according to Sky News. 

An Australian Defence spokesperson confirmed an aircraft incident occurred mid-morning during Exercise Predator’s Run 2023, without providing details.

“Initial reports suggest the incident involves United States defence personnel and that Australian Defence Force members were not involved,” the spokesperson said in an email. “At this critical early stage, our focus is on the incident response and ensuring the safety of those involved.”

A search has begun to find unaccounted personnel, and there may have been casualties, Sky News said. The drills were paused following the crash, Sky News said.

 

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