CANBERRA, Australia — The Australian Navy has located a missing US military aircraft that crashed off Australia’s east coast Saturday, according to Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne.
Three Marines are still missing after what the Marine Corps is calling a “mishap” with an MV-22 aircraft.
23 of the 26 personnel on board have been rescued, the US Marine Corps said.
The US military has been in the area for training exercises with the Australian military. The MV-22 is a vertical-launch aircraft, also known as an Osprey.
“The aircraft involved in the mishap had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.
In a statement, Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said she had spoken to US Defense Secretary James Mattis to offer Australia’s support in “anyway that can be of assistance.”
Australian authorities said the incident happened in Shoalwater Bay and that no Australian personnel were on board.
