An MV-22B Osprey just like the one that crashed in Norway. /
At the moment the causes of the accident are unknown and the US Army has opened an investigation into what happened
A US military plane with four people on board has crashed in northern Norway while participating in joint NATO military exercises, as confirmed by the Norwegian Police.
All four crew members of the aircraft have died in the accident, as reported by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr on Twitter.
After the accident, the chief of staff of the Police of Nordland, a province in northern Norway, admitted that he had seen no signs of life “in or around the plane.” Until finally his death has been confirmed.
It is with great sadness we have recived the message that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night. The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response. Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers’ families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit.
Jonas Gahr Støre (@jonasgahrstore) March 19, 2022
The aircraft was heading to northern Norway and was expected to land in the city of Bodo around 6:00 p.m. However, this has not happened and, in fact, the last position recorded before the accident placed the aircraft in Saltfjellet, a mountain range about 70 kilometers from Bodo.
At the moment, the causes of the accident are unknown, although the US Army has reported that an investigation has been opened into what happened and that more details will be provided when possible.
“Norwegian civil authorities are leading search and rescue efforts at the moment. We are grateful for their efforts and will help them in the search and rescue in all possible ways,” the United States Marine Corps explained on Twitter, which has assured that although the nature of military service is “inherently dangerous”, they watch over the safety of their colleagues.
The Norwegian Armed Forces had warned this Friday at the last minute of the disappearance of a US plane that participated in the military exercises of ‘Cold Response’, a joint maneuver of different countries of the Atlantic Alliance that began this Monday in Norwegian territory.
As explained by the Norwegian Army, the aircraft, a Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey model, was transporting four soldiers and belongs to the United States Marine Corps.
The Norwegian Main Rescue Center immediately began the search for the military plane, although the Armed Forces stressed that the weather conditions were adverse, which has conditioned the search efforts.
The military exercises, in which NATO members participate, include activities both at sea and in the air and, according to information from Norway, about 30,000 soldiers from 27 states and partners of the Atlantic Alliance participate, including thousands of forces land, sea and air of each one.
Already before the start of the operation, the Norwegian authorities emphasized that ‘Cold Response’ is not a reaction to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but a “long-planned” common defense exercise.