An MV-22B Osprey Aircraft on the deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard off Sydney in June.
Jason Reed / AFP / Getty Images
The US Marine Corps is conducting an active search and rescue operation for missing service members after an aircraft "mishap" occurred off the east coast of Australia on Saturday.
A statement released from the Marine Corps doesn't specify what occurred, but does that the incident involved an MV-22 Osprey, a type of military aircraft.
"Ship’s small boats and aircraft from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group are conducting the search and rescue operations," the Marine Corps statement said.
Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said the incident occurred off the coast of Queensland's Shoalwater Bay, which is home to a military training area.
Shoalwater Bay, Queensland.
Payne said no Australian military personnel were on board the aircraft.
"The United States are leading the search and recovery effort," she said. "I have briefed Prime Minister Turnbull and spoken with [US Defense] Secretary [James] Mattis this evening to offer Australia's support in anyway that can be of assistance."
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported the aircraft had been in Queensland as part of a joint US and Australian training exercise that ended July 25.
Some 1,250 Marines touched down in Australia in April on a six-month deployment to conduct training exercises with local troops and visiting Chinese forces.
Thirteen US aircraft were sent to Australia as part of the deployment, including the tilt-rotor Ospreys, Reuters reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.
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