Four U.S. Marines died after their aircraft crashed during a NATO cold response training exercise in Norway, the Norwegian Armed Forces announced Saturday morning.
The identities of the dead Marines, who crashed on Friday after navigating rough terrain in poor weather conditions, will not be released for at least 24 hours, and the cause of the crash is under investigation, officials said.
“The search and rescue operation found what was an accident site. It has now sadly been confirmed that the crew on board the American aircraft died in the accident. My thoughts go to the crew’s family, friends, and colleagues,” Gen. Eirik Kristoffersen, the Norwegian chief of defense, said in a statement. “I would like to thank everyone who have been involved in the search and rescue operation. We have no one to lose.”
US MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN NORWAY DURING NATO EXERCISE
While the II Marine Expeditionary Force acknowledged the wreckage of the crash was located, it said the four Marines are “listed in Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown.”
“Though the nature of military service is inherently dangerous, the safety of our Marines, Sailors, Allies and partners is our top priority,” IIMEF said. “Our hearts go out to the families affected by these events.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store gave his condolences to the families of the soldiers in a tweet Saturday morning.
It is with great sadness we have recived the message that four American soldiers died in a plane crash last night. The soldiers participated in the NATO exercise Cold Response. Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers’ families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit.
— Jonas Gahr Støre (@jonasgahrstore) March 19, 2022
The four service members assigned to the Marine Aircraft Wing were headed for Bodo, a municipality on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea that is known to have strong winds, per the Norwegian officials’ statement.
Their aircraft went missing Friday, and authorities conducted a search a rescue amid poor weather conditions. There were no other people aboard the aircraft.
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NATO conducts cold weather exercises on a biannual basis in which its forces test their ability to contend with cold conditions on land, in the air, and at sea. Exercises began earlier this month and are slated to continue through April. Over 30,000 troops from 27 NATO countries will participate, according to NATO. The cold weather exercises will continue, but NATO will take precautions in light of the poor weather conditions, officials said.
V-22s, such as the one used in the incident, merge the “vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft,” according to Boeing, which manufactures the aircraft.
