3 U.S. Marines dead, many injured in Australian training exercise.

Tragic Crash Claims Lives of U.S.​ Marines in Australia

Three U.S. Marines lost their​ lives during ‍a training⁢ exercise on a picturesque northern Australian island. The incident occurred when an American MV-22B⁣ Osprey ⁢aircraft​ carrying the troops crashed, leaving several ⁣others wounded, according to ⁤officials.

The tiltrotor aircraft was transporting ​23 ⁣U.S. Marines⁢ when it tragically crashed at ‌approximately 9:30 a.m. local⁢ time ‍on Melville Island.‌ This island⁢ is situated off the Northern Territory of mainland Australia in the⁤ Timor Sea. The crash‍ resulted ​in injuries to twenty Marines, ‌with five in serious condition being flown to a‍ town 50 miles away​ for urgent treatment, as⁣ reported⁢ by the⁤ Associated Press.

“Marine⁣ Rotational Force – ⁤Darwin ⁢can confirm ‍a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey ⁣crash ​on Melville ⁢Island, north of Darwin,⁢ Northern Territory, ‌Australia, while transporting troops during a routine training exercise,” stated the Marine Rotational Force in Darwin (MRF-D) in a press release.

One of the injured Marines underwent ​surgery at a‌ hospital in Darwin, according‌ to Natasha ‌Fyles, ​the chief minister of Australia’s Northern Territory.⁢ Recovery ⁤efforts are ​still underway, and ‍the cause of⁤ the ‌crash is ⁣currently under investigation,​ as mentioned in the MRF-D press ‍release issued early Sunday.

According to an​ audio recording of an American official’s report⁤ to ⁣Australian air traffic controllers, there was a⁢ “significant fire‍ in the vicinity of the crash site,” as reported by ⁣the AP.

The ​ill-fated Osprey aircraft was ‍one of two⁢ that departed from the ⁣Australian town⁣ of Darwin for the Tiwi Islands, where Melville Island is located, ⁢approximately 50⁢ miles ⁤away. The ‌purpose of this ⁤”routine ⁤training exercise”‌ was to ‌support Exercise Predators ​Run, a multi-nation‍ military exercise involving the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor.

“The initial​ reports suggest that‌ the incident involves just U.S.⁢ defense force⁤ personnel,”⁢ stated Australian Prime⁤ Minister Anthony Albanese. “Our focus as a government and as the department of defense is very ⁤much on incident response and on making sure that every support and assistance is given at this difficult time.”

Exercise Predators ⁤Run, which includes approximately‌ 2,500 participants, including 500 from ‍the United States, has been temporarily paused following this tragic incident. The exercise, ⁣originally scheduled to​ conclude on September⁢ 7‌ after 12 days, has been put on⁢ hold.

While the cause of the‌ incident remains unknown, this is not the ⁤first time the⁣ Osprey aircraft has been involved⁢ in a fatal crash. According to the AP, there​ have​ been five⁢ fatal crashes involving ⁣Marine Osprey aircraft since 2012. In June 2022, a mechanical failure related to the aircraft’s clutch resulted ​in the⁣ deaths‍ of ⁣five ‌Marines in California after an Osprey crash, ⁤as stated in a crash investigation report. Three months prior‍ to​ that, four⁤ Marines⁣ were killed in⁢ an Osprey crash during ⁤a NATO‍ exercise in Norway.