3 US Marines dead, 5 in ‘serious condition’ after aircraft crash in Australia

A US military aircraft has crashed on a remote island north of Australia while taking part in war games, leaving three dead and 20 others injured.

Three US Marines died and five were in "serious condition" following the aircraft crash on Sunday, officials said.

The MV-22B Osprey crash occurred while transporting troops during a “routine training exercise.”

There were a total of 23 personnel on board the Osprey military aircraft.

The five Marines in “serious condition” were transported to Royal Darwin Hospital, according to reports. 

The crashed vertical take-off aircraft had been carrying US “defense personnel,” Australia’s Defense Department confirmed, adding that there were no Australian soldiers involved in the incident.

“At this critical early stage, our focus is on the incident response and ensuring the safety of those involved,” Australia’s military said in its statement.

The aircraft crashed during the Predators Run drills near the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin, according to local state-run broadcaster ABC.

The Australian broadcaster noted that the emergency services incident map for the Northern Territory said there had been an “aircraft crash” on Melville Island, some 60km north of the Australian mainland, on Sunday morning.

In the meantime, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the crash as a “tragic” incident. He emphasized that Canberra was currently focused on providing support to those in the crash.

“Our focus as a government and as a department of defense is very much on incident response and on making sure that every support and assistance is given at this difficult time,” he added.

The 2023 Predators Run exercise is a joint military drill that the US and Australian military forces conduct annually in Australia’s Northern Territory.

This year the joint drill coordinates multiple battle groups consisting of soldiers from Australia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Indonesia, alongside American servicemen from the US Marine Corps.

In the past, Malaysian troops also took part in the Predators Run exercises.

The Australian news agency reported that more than 2,500 troops from the US, Australia, Philippines, Timor-Leste and Indonesia were currently taking part in the joint military exercises.

The drill represents a simulation of what could be anticipated as a military response by a regional multinational force under US command to potential future threats in the South Pacific area, possibly by China.

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