Four U.S. Marines missing after Osprey crashes in Norway

March 18 (UPI) -- A military aircraft carrying four U.S. Marines crashed in Norway on Friday while conducting a training mission, officials with Norway's armed forces said.

Officials with the Joint Rescue Coordination Center of Northern Norway said in a statement that a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey went missing south of Bodø around 6:26 p.m., just after it was scheduled to land.

The Osprey was located near Gratadalen, a valley south of Bodø, around 9:17 p.m., according to a statement from Norway's armed forces.

The conditions of the four Marines who were onboard the helicopter were not immediately known. The Joint Rescue Coordination Center said it deployed a rescue helicopter and an Orion aircraft to conduct search and rescue operations but were not able to reach the crashed Osprey because of the weather conditions.

"Due to the weather conditions, it has not been possible to enter the site from the air," officials said. "Police and rescue crews are now on their way into the area by foot and snowmobiles."

The incident was confirmed by the Marines' II Marine Expeditionary Force in a statement, noting that it was "aware of a mishap" involving the helicopter which was participating in Exercise Cold Response 2022.

"The aircraft Norwegian civil authorities are leading the search and rescue efforts at this time. We are grateful for their efforts and will assist them in the search and rescue in all manners possible," the statement reads.

"Although the nature of military service is inherently dangerous, the safety of our Marines, Sailors, Allies and partners is our top priority."

NATO said in a statement that Cold Response 2022 is "a long-planned and regular exercise, which Norway hosts biannually."

"This year's exercise was announced over eight months ago," the statement reads. "It is not linked to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, which NATO is responding to with preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory measures."