US suspends search for three Marines missing off coast of Australia

The rescue effort has been shifted to recovery, the Marine Corps says

The US military has been in the area for training exercises with their Australian counterparts which have involved the MV-22, also known as an Osprey (Jesus Sepulveda Torres/US Marine Corps via Reuters )

The US Navy and Marine Corps have suspended search and rescue operations for three Marines whose aircraft crashed off of Australia's northeast coast.

The rescue operations for the three men has shifted to a recovery effort, the Marine Corps said in a statement. The family members of the missing Marines have been notified.

“The transition comes after teams led continuous sustained search efforts supported by aircraft and ships,” the Corps said. “As the sea state permits, recovery efforts will be conducted to further search, assess and survey the area, in coordination and with assistance from the Australian Defence Force.”

The 23 other passengers and crew members onboard have been rescued.

The Marine Corps estimates the recovery effort could take months. The Australian government said it would deploy its armed forces to assist.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event and the Australian Government stands ready to support the U.S. further in any way we can," Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

The aircraft crashed around 4 pm local time on Saturday. Australian meteorologists described the weather at the time as “benign”.

The Marines were members of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, which was in Australia to participate in joint training manoeuvres involving more than 33,000 US and Australian military personnel.

The aircraft was launched off of the USS Bonhomme Richard while it conducted regular operations on the Coral Sea on Saturday. Small boats and aircraft from the ship responded to the crash immediately, and recovered the 23 other people aboard.

The marines were flying a MV-22 Osprey, which is designed to take off like a helicopter but fly like a plane. More than 20 Marines were killed in a test flight for the aircraft in 2000. Another Osprey crashed into the sea in December.

The aircraft has nonetheless become popular with the US military for its speed, range, and flexibility.