Australia to ground fleet of Taipan helicopters after military drill crash leaves 4 dead
MRH-90 Taipan helicopter
Australian defence minister Richard Marles announced that all hope of finding survivors from the military helicopter that crashed over the weekend has been lost. At the same time, Canberra will ground its fleet of over three dozenTaipan helicopters until the investigation into the crash is concluded by the authorities.
Australia helicopter crash: Focus shifts from search and rescue to recovery
While the authorities were initially hopeful about finding survivors from the crash, the discovery of debris confirmed the tragic fate of the four crew members.
The helicopter was participating in the Talisman Sabre exercise, an extensive event involving 30,000 military personnel from various nations, such asFiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany.
The crash reportedlyoccurred near the Whitsunday Islands during a night time operation, resulting in a catastrophic impact.
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The Australian defence minister Marles informed reporters that the focus has now shifted from search and rescue to recovery.
Also watch |Australia: Four feared dead following military helicopter crash
Multiple militaries, along with the police, joined forces to search for the crew of the MRH-90 Taipan, which went down in subtropical waters off Australia's northeast coast on Friday night.
As investigations into the crash will continue.
Australia grounds Taipan helicopters fleet
Meanwhile, Australia's fleet of over 40 Taipan helicopters, scheduled for retirement by the end of 2024, will remain grounded until a better understanding of the incident is gained, it was announced.
Past complaints regarding the European-made Taipans' maintenance and spare parts issues were mentioned by Australian officials.
Chief of Defence Angus Campbell pledged to spare no effort in recovering the bodies and wreckage.
However, the search has been hindered by strong currents and tidal movements in the area, it has emerged
Despite the challenges, the use of sonar equipment and specialist divers will aid in the ongoing efforts to
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