A U.S. defense helicopter, carrying marines, met with an accident over the Tiwi Islands during a training session. The incident took place in the Northern Territory. In response to the crash, the CareFlight rescue helicopter and police were dispatched to the scene. One individual has been moved to the Royal Darwin Hospital in a critical state, while two others are in stable condition. The aircraft was believed to be carrying 23 people at the time of the incident. Preliminary reports indicate that the mishap involved U.S. defense personnel, and no members of the Australian Defence Force were involved, as per a statement from a defense spokesperson.
The spokesperson emphasized that their immediate concern is the incident response and ensuring the safety of those involved. Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister, labeled the event as tragic. He stated, “The Department of Defence is very much on incident response and on making sure that every support and assistance is given at this point in time. This is a difficult incident, we’re responding fully and our priority is on providing every assistance possible.”
This unfortunate event occurred shortly after the commencement of the “Predators Run 2023” exercise in the Top End, which saw participation from soldiers from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste. This multinational exercise, involving 2,500 soldiers, is being conducted in Darwin and the Tiwi Islands. U.S. marines, stationed in Darwin, are actively participating in military drills alongside personnel from Australia and the Philippines.