US special operation soldiers died on Friday when their helicopter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a training mission, according to Sunday’s report by US officials.
According to two US officials who wished to remain anonymous, the servicemen on the helicopter were US Army Special Operations personnel. The US European Command stated that search and rescue operations were launched immediately after the crash.
We can definitively say that the aircraft sortie was purely related to training and there are no indications of hostile activity.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin called the crash a “training accident.”
The United States deployed the aircraft carriers Ford and Eisenhower, along with auxiliary ships and dozens of aircraft, to the eastern Mediterranean to deter further escalation of the conflict after Hamas had launched an attack on Israel on October 7.
The crash occurred the day after a Veterans Day ceremony honouring fallen US service members.
“While we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe. They represent the best of America. We will remember their service and their sacrifice.”
In 2021, five sailors died after a Seahawk helicopter crashed off the coast of San Diego during routine Navy operations.
