CANBERRA: Four air crew members were missing after an Australian army helicopter ditched into waters off the Queensland state coast during joint military exercises with the United States, officials said Saturday.
The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter went down near Hamilton Island, a Great Barrier Reef tourist resort, around 10.30 pm on Friday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
A search was underway to find the crew, and their families had been notified, officials said. A rescue helicopter reported spotting debris on Saturday morning near Dent Island in the Whitsunday Islands group.
he Taipan was taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial joint US-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland. This year’s exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
Marles said the helicopter ditched, which refers to an emergency landing on water. He said it was taking part in a mission that involved a second helicopter, which immediately started a search and rescue operation.
“Defence exercises, which are so necessary for the readiness of our defence force, are serious. They carry risk,” Marles told reporters in Brisbane. “As we desperately hope for better news during the course of this day, we are reminded about the gravity of the act which comes with wearing our nation’s uniform.” Defence Force Chief Gen Angus Campbell said Queensland state authorities, members of the public and US military personnel were taking part in the search.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Brisbane for a meeting on Saturday and is due to travel with Marles to north Queensland on Sunday to see the exercise. The exercise has been paused by the search.
Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid tribute to the missing air crew at the outset of a meeting with their Australian counterparts, Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.