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April 30 (UPI) -- A Canadian military helicopter that was involved in NATO exercises has crashed off the coast of Greece, government officials said Thursday. The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter had been involved in Operation Reassurance in Central and Eastern Europe to reinforce collective NATO defense when it went down. It had been deployed upon the HMCS Fredericton and lost contact during allied exercises off the Greek coastline.
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The Greek National Defense General Staff said Thursday a search and rescue operation is underway. Greek state television ERT reported wreckage had been located in the waters off Cephalonia.
It wasn't initially reported how many crew were aboard the twin-engine helicopter.
Wednesday night, the Canadian military and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the crash.
"The CAF confirms we have contacted all primary family members of those who were on board the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter that was involved in an accident in the Mediterranean Sea," the military tweeted.
The CH-148 Cyclone is a modified military version of the Sikorsky S-92 that was manufactured specifically for the Canadian Armed Forces. It is used mainly by the Royal Canadian Air Force but is also available to the Royal Canadian Navy. The helicopter was introduced into service in 2018.
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