BREAKING: There are fears for personnel onboard a military helicopter that has reportedly crashed near Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays.
Four people are feared dead after a military helicopter crashed near Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays during a training exercise.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the helicopter, an MRH-90, ditched in waters near the island about 10.30pm on Friday night, as part of a two-helicopter mission.The Defence Force has notified the families of the incident.“The families of the four aircrew have been notified of this incident and our hopes and thoughts are very much with the aircrew and their families ... [and] the efforts of the search and rescue crews as they go about their work right now.
“And 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,” he said.“Our focus at the moment is finding our people and supporting their families and the rest of our team,” he said.
Two days ago, a US Air Force commander said this exercise was the “biggest, most complex Talisman Sabre we’ve undertaken”. The Australia-US Ministerial consultations, involving foreign affairs and defence ministers, is being held in Brisbane this weekend. AUSMIN is the primary forum at which Australia and the United States set the strategic direction for their military alliance.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Four people feared dead after military helicopter crashes into oceanFour people are feared dead after a military helicopter crashed off Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays just after 10.30pm on Friday night.
Read more »
Victoria secures $21 billion defence manufacturing dealA $170 million Victorian site will assemble the next generation of infantry fighter vehicles for the nation’s army, strengthening defence ties with an Asian powerhouse.
Read more »
South Korean firm awarded defence contract by Albanese governmentSouth Korean firm Hanwha has beaten a German firm to build Land 400 vehicles, being awarded a multi-billion-dollar defence contract by the Albanese government.
Read more »
UK Defence officials email state secrets to Russian allyThe British Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation after a 'small number' of messages meant for the Pentagon were instead sent to a Russian ally.
Read more »
British Ministry of Defence investigates why emails meant for Pentagon sent to Russian allyBritish media outlets, using headlines such as 'You've got Mali', are poking fun at UK military officials who are investigating why emails intended for the US were unwittingly sent to Russian ally Mali.
Read more »