On Sunday, a US military aircraft was involved in an event in Australia. While participating in military drills, a V-22 Osprey chopper carrying about 20 US Marines crashed off the Darwin coast. According to reports, three people were confirmed dead on Melville Island, and five of the 23 on board were flown to a hospital.PM Albanese on the crashWhen asked about the crash and rescue attempts during a conference, Australian PM Anthony Albanese commented, “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 also confirmed that Australian personnel were involved in the crash.Official statementsFire and emergency services responded to reports of an aircraft crash on Melville Island and stated the US Defence Department was aware of media stories on the crash, but they did not have anything to provide at that time. When asked by the Marines, they said “Recovery efforts are ongoing,” the statement said, adding the cause of the crash was under investigation.In response to a more assertive China, the US and Australia, a significant ally in the Pacific, increased their military cooperation recently.Four Australian troops perished last month when their helicopter crashed into the water off the coast of Queensland during bilateral training.
