Australia's defence department said on Sunday (August 27) that a US military aircraft crashed on a remote island north of mainland Australia while it was taking part in war games. US officials have said that three US Marines were killed in the crash while 20 sustained injuries.

"There were a total of 23 personnel on board. Three have been confirmed deceased while five others were transported to Royal Darwin Hospital in a serious condition," a US Marines official said in a statement.

"At this critical early stage, our focus is on the incident response and ensuring the safety of those involved," the Defence Department said in a statement, adding that Australian soldiers were "not involved". &nbsp;

The crashed aircraft is an Osprey vertical takeoff aircraft.&nbsp;

An emergency services incident map for Northern Territory revealed that there was an "aircraft crash" on Melville Island. The island is about 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of mainland Australia.

The aircraft was participating in Predators Run exercises. It's a joint combat drill between the US and Australian military.

Ospreys aircraft is a&nbsp;tilt-rotor aircraft.&nbsp;It is a hybrid craft that has two engines on fixed wingtips. These allow the aircraft to land and take-off vertically. It travels much faster than a conventional helicopter.

The safety record of this type of aircraft has reportedly come into question following a series of fatal accidents.

In April 2000, 19 Marines were killed when an Osprey crashed during a training exercise in Arizona.&nbsp;

And three marines were killed in 2017 when an Osprey crashed after clipping the back of a transport ship while trying to land at sea off Australia's north coast.&nbsp;

In July this year, four Australians were killed after their Taipan helicopter crashed into sea during war games near Queensland.

Northern Australia has assumed greater importance in recent years as the US and Australia look to counter growing Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Australia's defence department said on Sunday (August 27) that a US military aircraft crashed on a remote island north of mainland Australia while it was taking part in war games.

Australia's defence department said on Sunday (August 27) that a US military aircraft crashed on a remote island north of mainland Australia while it was taking part in war games. US officials have said that three US Marines were killed in the crash while 20 sustained injuries. "There were a total of 23 personnel on board. Three have been confirmed deceased while five others were transported to Royal Darwin Hospital in a serious condition," a US Marines official said in a statement. "At this critical early stage, our focus is on the incident response and ensuring the safety of those involved," the Defence Department said in a statement, adding that Australian soldiers were "not involved". The crashed aircraft is an Osprey vertical takeoff aircraft. An emergency services incident map for Northern Territory revealed that there was an "aircraft crash" on Melville Island. The island is about 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of mainland Australia. The aircraft was participating in Predators Run exercises. It's a joint combat drill between the US and Australian military. Ospreys aircraft is a tilt-rotor aircraft. It is a hybrid craft that has two engines on fixed wingtips. These allow the aircraft to land and take-off vertically. It travels much faster than a conventional helicopter. The safety record of this type of aircraft has reportedly come into question following a series of fatal accidents. In April 2000, 19 Marines were killed when an Osprey crashed during a training exercise in Arizona. And three marines were killed in 2017 when an Osprey crashed after clipping the back of a transport ship while trying to land at sea off Australia's north coast. In July this year, four Australians were killed after their Taipan helicopter crashed into sea during war games near Queensland. Northern Australia has assumed greater importance in recent years as the US and Australia look to counter growing Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Three US Marines killed as aircraft crashes during combat exercise in Australia

The United States will deploy a record number of Marines to train in Australia, the Australian defence minister said on Friday, as Washington seeks to counter what it describes as Chinese aggression in the region.

Payne said 1,587 US&nbsp;Marines will spend six months training in Australia&#39;s remote north, an increase of nearly 27 per cent on its 2017 rotation for the programme known as the Force Posture Initiatives.

&quot;The US military plays a vital role in underwriting security and stability across the Indo-Pacific, and the Force Posture Initiatives will be an essential component in preserving stability and security over the coming decades,&quot; Defence Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

The deployment, first introduced in 2011 as part of a US &quot;pivot&quot; to Asia, has emerged as a key indicator of Washington&#39;s commitment to the region under US President Donald Trump and his willingness to counter Chinese influence in a region where tensions have spiked amid disputes over the South China Sea.

China claims most of the South China Sea, an important trade route that is also believed to contain large quantities of oil and natural gas, and has been building artificial islands on reefs, some with ports and airstrips.

In a move likely to irk Beijing, the US Marines will train with personnel from Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, some of which also have claims in the South China Sea.

&quot;China will monitor whatever the US does and it would prefer that the United States not work with the Asian countries included in these exercises,&quot; said Euan Graham, director of the international security programme at Australian think tank the Lowy Institute.

&quot;Beijing would like to deal one-on-one with Southeast Asia nations that have counter claims,&quot; he said.

The US Marines will also bring additional military equipment, including helicopters and F-18 jets, Payne said.

The military deployment also threatens to further weaken Australia-Chinese relations.

Australia, a staunch US ally with no claim to the South China Sea, has long maintained its neutrality in the dispute to protect its economic relationship with China.

But bilateral relations have soured in recent months after Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said China was improperly interfering in Canberra&#39;s affairs, an accusation that triggered a rare protest from Beijing.

The deployment, first introduced in 2011 as part of a US "pivot" to Asia, has emerged as a key indicator of Washington's commitment to the region under US President Donald Trump and his willingness to counter Chinese influence in a region where tensions have spiked amid disputes over South China Sea

The United States will deploy a record number of Marines to train in Australia, the Australian defence minister said on Friday, as Washington seeks to counter what it describes as Chinese aggression in the region. Payne said 1,587 US Marines will spend six months training in Australia's remote north, an increase of nearly 27 per cent on its 2017 rotation for the programme known as the Force Posture Initiatives. "The US military plays a vital role in underwriting security and stability across the Indo-Pacific, and the Force Posture Initiatives will be an essential component in preserving stability and security over the coming decades," Defence Minister Marise Payne said in a statement. The deployment, first introduced in 2011 as part of a US "pivot" to Asia, has emerged as a key indicator of Washington's commitment to the region under US President Donald Trump and his willingness to counter Chinese influence in a region where tensions have spiked amid disputes over the South China Sea. China claims most of the South China Sea, an important trade route that is also believed to contain large quantities of oil and natural gas, and has been building artificial islands on reefs, some with ports and airstrips. In a move likely to irk Beijing, the US Marines will train with personnel from Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, some of which also have claims in the South China Sea. "China will monitor whatever the US does and it would prefer that the United States not work with the Asian countries included in these exercises," said Euan Graham, director of the international security programme at Australian think tank the Lowy Institute. "Beijing would like to deal one-on-one with Southeast Asia nations that have counter claims," he said. The US Marines will also bring additional military equipment, including helicopters and F-18 jets, Payne said. The military deployment also threatens to further weaken Australia-Chinese relations. Australia, a staunch US ally with no claim to the South China Sea, has long maintained its neutrality in the dispute to protect its economic relationship with China. But bilateral relations have soured in recent months after Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said China was improperly interfering in Canberra's affairs, an accusation that triggered a rare protest from Beijing.

Record number of US Marines to train in Australia in symbolic challenge to China

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Three US Marines killed as aircraft crashes during combat exercise in Australia

Record number of US Marines to train in Australia in symbolic challenge to China