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8 September 2023
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Three US Marines died in Australia aircraft crash during exercises
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Three US Marines died in an aircraft crash off the coast of northern Australia on Sunday while transporting troops during a routine military exercise on Sunday, 27 August 2023. Five others were “transported to Royal Darwin Hospital in serious condition”, Marine Rotation Force – Darwin said.
They were among 23 Marines on the MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft when it crashed, the statement said, adding the cause of the crash was being investigated.
The crash occurred on the remote Tiwi Islands at approximately 09h30am, the statement said.
The Osprey – a mix between a helicopter and a plane – was taking part in the Predators Run exercises, a joint series of warfighting drills involving thousands of soldiers from the US and Australia, as well as other militaries such as Indonesia and the Philippines. Ospreys are rapid quick tilt-rotor aircraft that combine the features of both helicopters and turboprop planes, according to the US Air Force.
The hybrid aircraft has two swivelling engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically, but also travel much faster than a conventional helicopter.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident “tragic”, saying the Osprey was supporting the Exercise Predators Run 2023 military exercise. No Australian personnel were involved in the crash, he said.
“Our focus as a government and as a department of defence is very much on incident response and on making sure that every support and assistance is given at this difficult time,” the prime minister told a previously scheduled press conference in Western Australia.
About 2 500 personnel from Australia, the US, the Philippines, Indonesia and East Timor were taking part in the exercises.
The US and Australia, a key ally in the Pacific, have been stepping up military cooperation in recent years in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
“Australian and US personnel have stood shoulder to shoulder for more than a century,” Albanese and the Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement. “This incident is a reminder of the significance of the service undertaken by our personnel and those of our partner nations.”
Four Australian soldiers were killed last month during large bilateral exercises when their helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland.
Sources: Reuters
They were among 23 Marines on the MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft when it crashed, the statement said, adding the cause of the crash was being investigated.
The crash occurred on the remote Tiwi Islands at approximately 09h30am, the statement said.
The Osprey – a mix between a helicopter and a plane – was taking part in the Predators Run exercises, a joint series of warfighting drills involving thousands of soldiers from the US and Australia, as well as other militaries such as Indonesia and the Philippines. Ospreys are rapid quick tilt-rotor aircraft that combine the features of both helicopters and turboprop planes, according to the US Air Force.
The hybrid aircraft has two swivelling engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically, but also travel much faster than a conventional helicopter.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident “tragic”, saying the Osprey was supporting the Exercise Predators Run 2023 military exercise. No Australian personnel were involved in the crash, he said.
“Our focus as a government and as a department of defence is very much on incident response and on making sure that every support and assistance is given at this difficult time,” the prime minister told a previously scheduled press conference in Western Australia.
About 2 500 personnel from Australia, the US, the Philippines, Indonesia and East Timor were taking part in the exercises.
The US and Australia, a key ally in the Pacific, have been stepping up military cooperation in recent years in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
“Australian and US personnel have stood shoulder to shoulder for more than a century,” Albanese and the Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement. “This incident is a reminder of the significance of the service undertaken by our personnel and those of our partner nations.”
Four Australian soldiers were killed last month during large bilateral exercises when their helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland.
Sources: Reuters
