Four U.S. service members killed in Norway aircraft crash during NATO exercise - The Washington Post

Four American service members died when a U.S. military aircraft crashed in Norway on Friday night while taking part in a NATO exercise, Norwegian authorities said.

The crew of four were on a training mission in Nordland county when their aircraft crashed on the way to Bodo, on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea, north of the Arctic Circle, the country’s armed forces said in a statement Saturday. Rescuers arrived at the site overnight as local weather forecasts warned of strong winds, heavy rain and a risk of avalanches.

“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,” said Norway’s chief of defense, Gen. Eirik Kristoffersen.

Around 30,000 troops from more than 27 NATO countries have gathered to train in Norway’s cold weather. The military alliance has maintained that the drills, which started this month and will last until April, are not a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Norway announced Friday that it plans to boost defense spending to back forces near its border with Russia.

The U.S. 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force said in an email that Norwegian authorities led search and rescue efforts and that the crash was under investigation. It did not confirm the deaths but said four Marines went missing after “an aviation incident” with an MV-22B Osprey — which is capable of vertical takeoffs and landings and is primarily used to transport troops and equipment in support of amphibious assaults.

“As a matter of policy, identities of servicemembers are not released until 24-hours after all next-of-kin notifications have been completed,” the force added in its statement.

“Our deepest sympathies go to the soldiers’ families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Saturday morning.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith appeared to be the first U.S. official to confirm the fatalities, tweeting Saturday morning that she was “devastated to learn about the four marines who lost their lives in a training accident in Norway."

Devastated to learn about the four marines who lost their lives in a training accident in Norway. My deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.

— Ambassador Julianne Smith (@USAmbNATO) March 19, 2022

The American aircraft was assigned to participate in Exercise Cold Response 2022, a “long-planned and regular” routine that Norway hosts every two years, according to NATO.

Norwegian police, who did not give a cause for the crash, have launched an investigation. The Norwegian military said the NATO exercise “will carry on as planned, with the measures we have to take due to the weather.”

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