HELSINKI (AP) — 4 U.S. squaddies have been killed in a airplane crash all the way through a NATO workout unrelated to the Ukraine struggle, Norway’s high minister mentioned Saturday.
Jonas Gahr Støre tweeted that they have been killed within the crash on Friday night time. The reason used to be beneath investigation. “The warriors participated within the NATO workout Chilly Reaction,” he mentioned. “Our private sympathies move to the warriors’ households, relations and fellow squaddies of their unit.”
The airplane used to be a V-22B Osprey that belongs to the U.S. Marine Corps, Norway’s militia mentioned. “The plane had a staff of 4 and used to be out on a coaching undertaking in Nordland County” in northern Norway, in line with a observation.
It used to be on its method north to Bodø, the place it used to be scheduled to land simply sooner than 6 p.m. Friday. The airplane crashed in Gråtådalen in Beiarn, south of Bodø.
Police mentioned a seek and rescue undertaking used to be introduced straight away. At 1:30 a.m. Saturday, the police arrived on the scene and showed that the staff of 4 had died.
The once a year NATO drills in Norway are unrelated to the struggle in Ukraine. This yr they incorporated round 30,000 troops, 220 plane and 50 vessels from 27 international locations. Non-NATO participants Finland and Sweden also are taking part.
The workouts started on March 14 and finish on April 1.
No reason used to be given for the crash, however the Norwegian militia mentioned that Chilly Reaction “will lift on as deliberate, with the measures we need to take because of the elements.”