Rescue efforts are underneath manner after what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese known as a ‘tragic’ incident.
A rescue operation is underneath manner after a United States navy plane crashed off the northern coast of Australia with 20 Marines on board, in what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese known as a “tragic” incident.
A number of folks had been rescued, in line with the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), after the Osprey V-22 got here down close to Melville Island about 60km (37 miles) from Darwin on Sunday.
One particular person was in vital situation, two had been steady and there have been no experiences of fatalities, it reported.
Australia’s defence ministry stated the accident occurred throughout the annual Predator Run workout routines involving the militaries of Australia, the USA, East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Albanese, talking at a beforehand scheduled press convention, declined to supply particulars in regards to the crash or rescue efforts.
“Our focus as a authorities and as a division of defence could be very a lot on incident response and on ensuring that each help and help is given at this tough time,” he stated.
Australian personnel weren’t concerned, Albanese stated.
The US and Australia, a key ally within the Pacific, have been stepping up navy cooperation lately within the face of an more and more assertive China.
4 Australian troopers had been killed final month when their helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland.
The plane had been participating in Talisman Sabre, a joint navy train involving a complete of 13 nations, together with the US, Australia, Japan, France and Germany, and greater than 30,000 personnel.
Ospreys are tilt-rotor plane that mix the options of each helicopters and turboprop planes, in line with the US Air Drive.
It has two swivelling engines positioned on mounted wingtips that permit it to land and take off vertically, but in addition transfer at quicker speeds than a traditional helicopter.
The Osprey plane’s security file has repeatedly come into query after a sequence of deadly incidents.
In June final yr, all five Marines on board an Osprey were killed when it crashed within the California desert close to the Arizona border.
In March of that yr, 4 Marines had been killed when an Osprey crashed close to a Norwegian city within the Arctic Circle throughout a NATO train.
In 2017, three Marines had been killed when an Osprey crashed after clipping the again of a transport ship whereas making an attempt to land at sea off Australia’s north coast.