Four people are feared dead after a military helicopter crashed off the coast of north Queensland during joint training operations between the US and Australia. The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter went down in the ocean off Hamilton Island during a two-helicopter operation on Friday night. The incident occurred as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre, a large-scale training operation involving several allies. The wreckage was recovered near Dent Island, but no survivors have been found.
A search and rescue operation involving military aircraft from both the US and Australia is currently underway near Airlie Beach. Families of the missing crew members have been notified, and Defence Minister Richard Marles expressed his condolences. He acknowledged the risks involved in defense exercises and emphasized the support for the search and rescue crews.
Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell thanked all those involved in the search operation and highlighted the collaborative effort to find the missing personnel. He assured that updates would be provided in the coming days to keep everyone informed about the ongoing efforts.
This is not the first time an Australian MRH-90 has been involved in an emergency this year. In March, a Taipan helicopter ditched into waters off the NSW south coast during a night-time counter-terrorism training exercise. Ten people had to be rescued in that incident. The reliability of the Taipan helicopters has been called into question due to previous malfunctions and technical issues.
Exercise Talisman Sabre, which involves over 30,000 military personnel from 13 nations, is the largest of its kind and is aimed at testing various military capabilities. The 14-day exercise, running until August 4, includes logistics, firepower demonstrations, land combat, amphibious landings, and air operations. In light of the helicopter crash, the exercise has been paused.