Four US marines have been named after they were killed in a horror helicopter crash in Norway during a joint NATO-training exercise to practice defending Norway from an attack in cold weather.
The US Marines Corps named Captain Matthew J Tomkiewicz of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Captain Ross A Reynolds of Leominster, Massachusetts; Gunnery Sergeant James W Speedy of Cambridge, Ohio; and Corporal Jacob M Moore of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, as the four men who perished, as reported by NBC News.
Reuters reports the V-22B Osprey aircraft belonging to the US Marine Corps was taking part in Cold Response, a long-planned military exercise to practice defending Norwegian territory in cold-weather conditions in case of attack.
Want all the latest news and analysis from Ukraine? Sign up to our World News Bulletin here
It is understood the exercise was designed to increase NATO preparedness for any enemy aggression in the so-called 'High North' - the territories of countries which extend throughout the Arctic beyond the Polar Circle.
However, exercised was described as unrelated to Russia's war in Ukraine.
All four US personnel were killed when the plane crashed in a remote part of northern Norway on Friday, the Norwegian armed forces said in a statement.
Rescue services reached the crash site by land early on Saturday after helicopters were unable to land due to poor weather conditions, including gale-force winds and heavy rain.
There was also a risk of avalanches in the area, according to local weather forecasts.
"Police reached the crash site at around 0130 CET (0030 GMT). It is regrettably confirmed that all four on board the plane have perished," Ivar Bo Nilsson, head of the operation for Nordland police, said in a statement.
A Norwegian armed forces statement said later the four who had died were the Osprey's "American crew".
Police investigating the cause of the crash had to halt their work because of the bad weather, planning to resume their probe when the conditions improved.
Some 30,000 troops from 27 countries, including the UK, are involved in Cold Response, which Norway's military said would continue.
UK Royal Marines have been firing various weapons systems and conducting long patrols and amphibious landings as they prepare to take part in the bi-annual Norwegian-led exercise.
In a statement last week, NATO said the exercises was "long planned" but Russia declined an invitation to send observers.
The alliance said: "Tens of thousands of troops from across Europe and North America are training together in harsh climatic conditions as part of Norwegian exercise Cold Response 2022.
"The exercise is defensive and long-planned, and it demonstrates NATO’s ability to respond decisively to any threat, from any direction.
"Around 30,000 troops from 27 nations, including NATO’s close partners Finland and Sweden, are taking part in the exercise, as well as about 220 aircraft and more than 50 vessels."
NATO said it showed the alliance's ability to deploy tens of thousands of forces to the High North, while at the same time reinforcing the eastern part of the the alliance's territory to "shield NATO against any aggression."
It added: "Cold Response gives NATO Allies and partners the opportunity to train together in cold weather conditions over challenging terrain.. (It) deals with a fictional scenario where Norway is attacked and NATOs collective defence clause, Article 5, is invoked."
It added that NATO was "transparent in their exercises and respect their international commitments" while observers from all members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe had been invited to the exercise "but Russia declined the invitation."
According to a statement from the II Marine Expeditionary Force, US Major General Michael Cederholm, commander of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, wrote a letter to his Marines and their families.
He wrote: “The pilots and crew were committed to accomplishing their mission and serving a cause greater than themselves.
“We will continue to execute the mission while keeping these Marines and their service on the forefront of our minds. We will never allow these Marines’ sacrifice to go unnoticed or unappreciated.”
The bodies of the marines are being transport back the US.
