US marines killed as military Osprey helicopter crashes over the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory

Three US marines have been killed in a horror helicopter crash during military exercises in northern Australia, with five others in a serious condition.

The Boeing MV-22B Osprey, with 23 people on board, went down on Melville Island in the Tiwi Islands at 9.43am local time on Sunday. 

Five marines were flown from the scene to Royal Darwin Hospital, arriving just before 3pm local time, with the other 18 treated at the site of the crash. 

‘Recovery efforts are ongoing,’ the Marine Rotational Force Darwin said. ‘The cause of the incident is under investigation.

‘Further details will be provided as the situation develops.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a joint statement with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Australian Defence Force is providing support to their US counterparts during this difficult time.

‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the three US service personnel who lost their lives, those who have been injured, the rest of the crew and indeed the entire United States armed forces,’ the statement said.

The Boeing MV-22B Osprey, with 23 people on board, went down on Melville Island in the Tiwi Islands at 9.43am local time on Sunday 

‘Australian and US personnel have stood shoulder to shoulder for more than a century. Our alliance is built upon these enduring links and our shared values.

‘The incident is a reminder of the significance of the service undertaken by our personnel and those of our partner nations.’ 

The Royal Flying Doctors Service, Medical Rescue and the NT police have also responded to the incident. 

The Osprey is designed to be able to take off vertically like a helicopter, but have the speed and range of a conventional plane, 

The crash comes as the Territory’s largest Australian-led military exercise, the Predators Run, is underway. 

About 150 US Marines are stationed in Darwin and taking part in military drills alongside personnel from Australia, Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines. 

The Predators Run exercises has reportedly been paused following the crash. 

An aviation tracker Twitter account (pictured) reported that an ‘RAAF C-130 has been circling the area for some time and a Careflight helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft are also on scene’

An aviation tracker Twitter account reported that an ‘RAAF C-130 has been circling the area for some time and a Careflight helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft are also on scene’. 

Last month, four Australian Defence Force personnel were killed when an MRH-90 Taipan  ditched into the ocean off Lindeman Island, near Hamilton Island in north Queensland.

The crew had been participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre – joint military training between Australia, the US and 11 other ally countries. 

The men killed in the crash were Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Corporal Alexander Naggs and Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Phillip Laycock. 

In 2017 three US marines were killed during a military training exercise when an MV-22 Osprey carrying 26 crew members ditched into the water off the Queensland coast at Shoalwater Bay.

The remaining 23 members of that crew were rescued. 

US Marines are seen at the ADF Robertson Barracks in Darwin on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 

In a statement issued before the crash, the NT’s Chief Minister, Natasha Fyles had welcomed the Predators Run military exercise.

‘The Northern Territory shares a long and proud military history with the United States, which has grown closer in recent years with the Marine Rotational Force stationed here,’ she said. 

‘The Northern Territory is strategically significant for the defence of our nation, as well as our neighbours and allies, and we take our role seriously.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the NT Health Department for comment.