U.S. Marine Helicopter Crashes Near Australia, Three Marines Missing, Search And Rescue Underway

A U.S. search and rescue operation for three Marines is underway in the south Pacific after an MV-22 Osprey helicopter carrying 26 American military personnel crashed off Australia’s east coast last night. The West Australian reports that the three missing marines are feared dead.

The crash happened late Saturday afternoon off the coast of Shoalwater Bay in North Queensland, Australia. The helicopter was part of the joint U.S. and Australian military exercise “Talisman Sabre,” which has recently concluded.

The U.S. Marine Corps released a statement stating that there was an active search and rescue operation happening involving ships and aircraft from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group.

MSN reports the MV-22 Osprey was operating off of an amphibious assault ship, the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard, and was operating normally when it hit the water. According to MSN, the U.S Marine Corps said that the incident was under investigation but would give no further comment.

The helicopter involved in the incident—the MV-22 Osprey—has been the subject of controversy in the past for a shaky safety record and a series of crashes that resulted in the deaths of 39 people over 26 years. The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft designed to be able to take off and land vertically but flies much like a plane at greater speeds than conventional helicopters.

Since 1991, there have been nine fatal crashes involving V-22 Ospreys.

Development of the Osprey was almost scrapped in 2000 after a crash killed 20 U.S. military personnel, but the MV-22 has actually gained more popularity since then for its speed and range. The Ospreys are designed to fly between Aircraft Carriers.

In December, the U.S. Osprey squadron was grounded in Japan after an Osprey crashed into the sea, injuring five people after a hose broke during a refueling operation.

The MV-22 was deployed to Queensland as part of “Talisman Sabre,” a military exercise involving 33,000 personnel, 33 ships, and 200 aircraft from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Canada.

“Talisman Sabre” was conducted in Australia from April to July.

The United States and Australia have a long history of military partnership, including cooperation in the coalition during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

[Featured image by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images]