No hope of finding survivors in Australian military helicopter crash

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles announced on Monday that authorities have lost hope of finding survivors in the incident involving the crash of an Australian military helicopter into the sea during military exercises over the weekend.

The helicopter was participating in the major military exercises called "Talisman Saber," which involved the United States, Japan, France, Germany, and South Korea, with a total of 30,000 troops participating.

The European-made aircraft, an NH-90 Taipan, crashed late Friday off Hamilton Island in Queensland, northeast Australia.

Marles told reporters, "There was a catastrophic collision, and that is part of the reason why we have now shifted from a search and rescue operation to a recovery effort" for the helicopter and bodies.

For the search of the helicopter crew, forces from at least three countries, including the Australian Federal Police, have been involved.

Angus Campbell, the Chief of the Defense Force of the Australian Army, stated that authorities would do everything in their power to find the bodies and retrieve the wreckage. He added, "This effort will continue," affirming, "We will bring our comrades home to their loved ones and their units."

Australia resumed joint military exercises with the United States after briefly suspending them on Saturday following the helicopter crash.

The exercises entered their second week and include large-scale operations, such as air maneuvers, ground battles, and amphibious landings.

These training exercises are designed to test ground combat, amphibious landing, and air operations while demonstrating the strength of Western military alliances.

Currently, Australia is working on enhancing its armed forces, with a focus on acquiring long-range strike capabilities to deter potential adversaries such as China.

Canberra previously announced plans to replace its aging fleet of European-made Taipan helicopters with American-made Black Hawks, citing difficulties in maintenance and spare parts supply with the Taipan aircraft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP