Four feared dead after helicopter crash during military exercise | US | News

Four people are feared dead after a helicopter crash during a military exercise in Australia that also features US and UK armed forces.

Exercise Talisman Sabre, which is jointly led by United States and Australia, is being conducted off the Whitsundays coast in Queensland. It is understood the helicopter crashed into the ocean off Hamilton Island with four people on board about 11pm on Friday, local time.

The huge 14-day exercise features more than 30,000 military personnel from 13 nations, including the United Kingdom, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, France, Canada and Germany. The nationality of the downed helicopter is yet to be confirmed, but it is thought to be either American or Australian.

The wreckage was recovered south of Hamilton Island and the search for four people has resumed this morning.

The Australian Defence Force has said that this year’s Exercise Talisman Sabre covers the “largest-ever geographical footprint for the high-end warfighting”. Norfolk Island had been hosting Australian and United States military personnel as part of the Exercise.

Around 150 Australian and US military personnel have moved to Norfolk Island this week to conduct training together.

Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 director Brigadier Damian Hill said the public should not be alarmed by the training activity. “Most of the training will be discreet and there will be no live fire,” said Brigadier Hill.

“The public can expect to see and hear military aircraft, watercraft, unmanned aerial systems and some military personnel will be carrying weapons. While the training activities will conducted during the day and night, it will be away from the public where possible.”