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No survivors as plane crashes during NATO drills — Analysis

The US Marine Corps’ MV-22B Osprey was taking part in NATO drills in Norway and went down on Friday

Local police confirmed that all four members of the crew aboard the MV-22B Osprey plane belonging to the US Marine Corps crashed into Norway Friday. The aircraft, which is a cross between a regular helicopter and a turboprop plane, was taking part in NATO’s Cold Response military exercise in the Scandinavian country.

A statement from the Norwegian military stated that the V-22 Osprey was performing a training flight. It was expected to land at Bodo Air Base on Friday at 6pm. But the plane went missing.

Later in the day, the site of the crash was found from air. The V-22 Osprey’s crash site was difficult to reach due to adverse weather conditions. Helicopters were unable landing on the scene because of strong winds. The wreckage was eventually found by rescuers on Saturday morning.

Ivar Bo Nilsson from Nordland county police told the media that “Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that all four people on board have died.” According to reports, all four were US nationals.

In his Saturday twitter post, Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, extended his “Our deepest sympathies” to the “soldiers’ families, relatives and fellow soldiers in their unit.

Current information is sketchy about the cause of the crash. An investigation was already underway.

The Norwegian armed forces have announced that despite the incident the Cold Response drills “With the appropriate measures taken due to the weather, we will keep going as planned.

The annual exercise, aimed at testing the military alliance’s capabilities and cooperation in the inhospitable climate of northern Scandinavia, kicked off on March 14 and is due to wrap up on April 1. The drills are being conducted by approximately 30,000 soldiers, 220 planes, and 50 ships from 27 countries (including non-NATO member Finland and Sweden).

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The tilt-rotor Bell-Boeing V-22’s unique design allows the aircraft to take off and land like a conventional helicopter, while being capable of plane-like flight. However, it is difficult to control due to its unusual characteristics. Over time, many have lost their lives in accidents involving the MV-22B Osprey.



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