‘No signs of life’ after US military plane Arctic crash during NATO training

Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to the Daily Star’s newsletter

A US military aircraft has crashed in northern Norway with "no signs of life", said local police.

The US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft, was carrying four people and taking part in a NATO military exercise called Cold Response when it was reported missing at 6.26pm.

A rescue helicopter and a Norwegian military Orion plane searching the area spotted the wreckage from the air at 8.17pm (GMT) after receiving an emergency signal.

Nordland police chief of staff Bent Eilertsen said: "We've discovered an aircraft that has crashed. We've seen no sign of life,

"We've been told it's an American aircraft with four Americans on board."

The rescue aircraft was unable to land due to the bad weather.

Instead, police and rescue services were trying to reach the site by land but it was unclear how long this could take.

Bert added: "It's dark, the weather conditions are bad and there is a risk of avalanches."

The plane was on a NATO training exercise and had been due to land at around 5pm (GMT).

The aircraft was taking part in the Cold Response military exercise and involved thousands of troops from Allies and partners “testing their ability to work together in cold weather conditions across Norway – on land, in the air and at sea.”

Nato said of the Cold Response exercise: "Over the coming weeks, Allied and partner armed forces will trek across the vast wilderness, conduct live-fire drills, leap into freezing lakes, and much more.

"It's all about training vital skills, making sure that our armed forces are prepared to respond to any threat or crisis – and keep our countries and people safe.

"Cold Response 2022 is bringing together Allies from Europe and North America, demonstrating the enduring transatlantic bond at the heart of NATO."

There are 3,000 U.S. Marines in northern Norway participating in the Cold Response 22 NATO exercise.

The Marine's V-22 Ospreys have been involved in a number of deadly crashes in the past.

In 2017, three Marines died when a MV-22 Osprey went down off the coast of Australia.

In 2000, a V-22 Marine tilt-rotor Osprey crashed in Arizona with 19 people on board killed.

This is a breaking news story and is constantly being updated.

Please refresh the page regularly to get the latest updates.

Reporters working on dailystar.co.uk will be working to source the latest information, reaction, pictures and video related to this story.

You can also follow us on Twitter @DailyStar to get the latest news updates 24 hours a day.

Or download the Daily Star app for flash alerts on the biggest stories of the day.

• Breaking News

Source: Read Full Article