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Australia: US Marines killed in military aircraft crash

August 27, 2023

An aircraft carrying 23 US Marines has crashed on Melville island, killing 3, according to officials. About 150 US military personnel are currently taking part in multinational military exercises in Australia.

https://p.dw.com/p/4VcF3
A V-22 Osprey helicopter hovering above ground
The aircraft involved was reportedly a V-22 Osprey, seen here in JapanImage: Keizo Mori/UPI Photo/IMAGO

A US military aircraft carrying 23 personnel came down on an island off the northern coast of Australia on Sunday morning, the Australian Defence Ministry said.

Three US Marines were confirmed to have died in the crash, the US Marine Corps said on an account on the platform X, formally known as Twitter.

Five of the 23 on board had been flown in serious conditions to the mainland city of Darwin for hospital treatment, the statement said.

No Australian military personnel were reported to have been involved.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the "tragic" incident was "regrettable" and "difficult."  

Later, in a joint statement, Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles extended their "deepest condolences" to the US military. 

"This incident is a reminder of the significance of the service undertaken by our personnel and those of our partner nations," they said. 

What do we know about the crash?

The aircraft, reported to be a US Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, crashed during a multinational military exercise involving soldiers from Australia, the US, the Philippines, Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

The Defence Ministry said the incident occurred on Melville Island — one of the Tiwi Islands — during Exercise Predator's Run 2023.

Melville Island is located some 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the Australian mainland in the eastern Timor Sea. 

The remoteness of the island and its sparse population made rescue efforts difficult, officials said.

Increased military cooperation

The Osprey aircraft involved is a tilt-rotor aircraft that combines features of both helicopters and turboprop planes, according to the US Air Force.

The US and Australia have been stepping up military cooperation in recent years amid concern about China's growing geopolitical assertiveness in the region.

A helicopter crash last month off the coast of the northeastern state of Queensland during large-scale bilateral exercises killed four Australian soldiers. 

AUKUS deal: China warns against "path of error and danger"

tj/ab (Reuters, dpa, AFP)