An aerial incident involving US military personnel occurred in the late morning on Sunday, August 27th, during an exercise in Australia’s Northern Territory, stated the Ministry of Defense of that country.
Sky News Australia reported that a V-22 Osprey helicopter carrying around 20 US Marines on board had crashed off the coast of Darwin, prompting a search.
“Initial reports suggest that the incident involves US defense personnel and that members of the Australian Defense Forces were not involved,” the ministry said in an emailed statement.
The incident occurred on Melville Island, north of Darwin, during the 2023 Predator’s Run exercise.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was previously scheduled to hold a press conference at 0520 GMT, according to his office.
Over 2,500 soldiers from the United States, Australia, the Philippines, East Timor, and Indonesia are currently participating in these exercises.
Predator’s Run is the largest Australian Army-led exercise in the Northern Territory this year.
TYT Newsroom
