According to the Norwegian prime minister, four 4 US Marines were killed when an American MV-22 Osprey aircraft crashed during a massive NATO military exercise in Norway on Friday.
According to local authorities, the plane crashed in Nordland, a county in northern Norway. Nordland Chief in Staff Bent Eilertsen stated in a statement that police arrived at the location around 1:30 a.m. local time and “quickly established that the crew of four were deceased.” “As far as we can tell, they’re all Americans.”
“We have received word with profound regret that four American servicemen died in a jet crash last night,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre wrote on Twitter on Saturday. “The soldiers took part in NATO’s Cold Response drill. The troops’ families, relatives, and fellow soldiers in their unit have our sincere sympathies.”
The four soldiers of the US Marine Corps killed in a jet accident during NATO military exercises in Norway last week have been named.
The Marines announced that Captain Matthew Tomkiewicz, 27, Captain Ross Reynolds, 27, Gunnery Sgt. James Speedy, 30, and Cpl. Jacob Moore, 24, died on Friday.
They were all on board an Osprey that crashed in poor weather. On Facebook, their commanding general stated, “These Marines were simply doing what they loved.” Major General Michael Cederholm remarked, “We honour them by ascending to the skies again with their memory in our hearts, with steely nerves, and ready to answer our great Nation’s call.”
Cold Response, a Norwegian-led military exercise involving over 30,000 personnel from 27 countries, claimed the lives of the fallen Marines.
The plane was scheduled to land at 18:00 GMT on Friday, but it was reported missing by Norwegian authorities due to severe weather. On Saturday morning, local authorities in Nordland County announced that the crew had died in the accident.
The fallen MV-22B Osprey was eventually discovered near Bod, and the four crew members’ bodies were recovered by Royal Norwegian Air Force helicopter. It’s the first time in five years that an Osprey has crashed.