Crashed military plane suspected of carrying US military nuclear material

Follow New York Times, A V-22 Osprey of the 3rd Marine Squadron stationed at Mirama Air Force Base crashed around 1 p.m. in a remote area near Highway 78.

Los Angeles Times According to federal sources, five soldiers were on board and four were killed.

“We can confirm that an aircraft belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing has crashed near Glamis. Military and civilian first responders are on the scene.”US Marine Corps spokesman Duane Kampa said.

Mr. Kampa also denied the information circulating on social media earlier that the plane that crashed during a rehearsal was carrying “nuclear material”.

“Contrary to initial reports, there was no nuclear material on board. We will provide more information as we receive it.”he added.

The cause of the plane crash is unknown.

The accident comes nearly three months after four crew members aboard a US Army V-22 Osprey crashed while participating in military exercises called Cold Response 2022. of NATO, held in Norway.

V-22 Osprey is an aircraft with a unique design, capable of taking off and landing like a helicopter. This type of aircraft was ordered by the Pentagon to develop in 1983, with the goal of creating a jet aircraft that can operate in narrow terrain such as dense forests, extremely short field runways or aircraft carriers. promoted.

Dubbed “the sea eagle, the V-22 Osprey has a length of 17.5 m, a width (including wings) of 25.8 m, a maximum takeoff weight of 27.4 tons, a range of 1,600 km. can carry 24 soldiers or 9 tons of goods and military equipment.

Thanks to equipped with two АЕ1107С Liberty engines with a capacity of 6,150 horsepower, V-22 Osprey can reach a maximum speed of 510 km / h in jet mode, 184 km / h in helicopter mode. With its fast speed and high maneuverability, the V-22 Osprey is considered a suitable aircraft to deploy infantry as well as participate in attacks in many different battlefields.

V-22 Osprey is also used by the US Army in special rescue and rescue operations thanks to its ability to carry large volumes of cargo and flexibility when it can take off and land in a variety of complex terrain. .