US Marine Helicopter Crashes In Australia; 3 Soldiers Missing

UPDATE: Sunday, 7 a.m. EDT — The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps suspended the rescue operation to locate the three missing marine soldiers, launched after MV-22 Osprey crashed near Rockhampton, off the Queensland coast, Australia, on Saturday afternoon.

The rescue operation included the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group who worked with local boatmen to help locate the missing people. The rescuers could only locate 23 of 26 people onboard the helicopter.

The military confirmed in a statement Sunday they do not hope to find the rest of the missing soldiers alive. Hence, instead of a rescue mission, a recovery operation has been initiated.

"Recovery and salvage operations can take several months to complete, but can be extended based on several environmental factors," Marine Corps Base Camp Butler's statement said, ABC News reported. "The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation, and there is no additional information available at this time."

Australia's defense force is assisting the U.S. with the recovery effort. In the meantime, the kin of the missing marines have been informed.

UPDATE: Saturday, 9.15 a.m. EDT — According to the military sources, the Osprey MV-22 helicopter carrying members of the U.S. Marine Corps crashed when it was attempting to land at USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the United States Navy near the coast of Shoalwater Bay.

At least one marine has been seriously injured and is taken to Rockhampton Hospital, The Courier Mail reported. The people who have already been rescued are said to have sustained serious injuries. No Australian Defence Force personnel were aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash.

“I have been advised of an incident involving a United States Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey helicopter off the coast of Shoalwater Bay today,” Australian federal Defence Minister Marise Payne said. "The United States is leading the search and recovery effort. I have briefed Prime Minister Turnbull and spoken with Secretary Mattis this evening to offer Australia’s support in any way that can be of assistance. Our thoughts are with the crew and the families affected," she added.

Original Story:

An Osprey MV-22 helicopter carrying members of the U.S. Marine Corps crashed near Rockhampton off the Queensland coast, Australia, on Saturday afternoon, the military said in statement

“The United States Marine Corps confirms there is an active search and rescue operation ongoing for service members involved in an MV-22 mishap off the east coast of Australia,” the U.S. military said in a statement, 9News reported. “Ship's small boats and aircraft from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group are conducting the search and rescue operations. We will provide more details as they become available,” the statement added.

Read: WATCH: Marine Corps KC-130 Crashes In Mississippi, 16 Dead

According to Sky News, 20 people have been rescued, while three are still missing and are feared dead. A search and rescue operation has been launched for the same. "There is an active search and rescue operation ongoing for service members involved in an MV-22 mishap," US Marine Corps confirmed in a statement.

Aircraft with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group are collaborating with the local boatmen to help locate the missing people.

It is believed that 26 people were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash, including four people who were manning it at the time. The helicopter has a capacity of 32 people.

The tiltrotor helicopter has taken part in the Australian-US military exercise “Talisman Sabre,” which has just concluded in Queensland. It has entered the coast of Shoalwater Bay when it crashed.

Read: All 25 Aboard US Marine Aircraft Crashing In Gulf Of Aden ‘Safely Recovered’

This is not the first time that an MV-22 aircraft has caused problems, according to the Daily Telegraph. Even when it was in its testing phase from 1991 to 2000, it had caused four crashes killing 30 people. After that, it became operational in 2007 and has since been involved five more crashes, resulting in the death of nine more.

Tiltrotor helicopters are used by the marines because they are a cross between airplane and helicopters. They are much faster than helicopters and have the capability to move vertically. Four Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey aircraft arrived in Australia at the end of April from the U.S. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268.