Three U.S. Marines are missing after an MV-22 Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit "entered the water" Saturday off of Australia's east coast.

In a statement, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said that following a "mishap," 23 out of 26 personnel aboard had been rescued and that a search and rescue mission was underway for the remaining three.

The "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," tweeted III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Japan.

The MV-22 Osprey "had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water," said the Marines.

The unit was in Australia as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.

The V-22 Osprey is a combination aircraft, says its maker Boeing, with helicopterlike rotors allowing it to hover; once airborne, it can convert to a fixed-wing plane capable of high speeds and altitudes.

Saturday's incident comes a few weeks after a Marine Corps refueling aircraft crashed in Mississippi, killing all 16 people aboard.

This is a developing story. We will update as the situation develops.</s>U.S. service members were missing Saturday after their aircraft crashed off the east coast of Australia, the United States Marine Corps said.

It is unclear how many service members were aboard the Osprey heli-plane at the time of the crash.

Vessels and aircraft from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group are taking part in the rescue operation.

The aircraft was described as a MV-22 and is part of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said Australian defense force personnel were on board the aircraft.

She added that Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had been briefed on the situation and had spoken with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

No further details were immediately available.

This is a breaking story, please check back in for updates.</s>The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) has confirmed that it is actively searching for three service members who went missing after a MV-22 Osprey carrying more than 20 went down in Australia.

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It’s been termed a “mishap.” While 23 of the 26 personnel on board were rescued, three are still missing.

“The aircraft involved in the mishap had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water,” the USMC said in a statement.

These planes had been used during joint exercises between the U.S. and Australian military.

Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said the incident occurred off the coast of Shoalwater Bay in Queensland state.

“I can confirm no Australian Defence Force personnel were on board the aircraft,” Payne said in a statement. “The United States are leading the search and recovery effort.”

RELATED: All 16 service members who lost their lives in the military plane crash have been identified

Payne said she had spoken with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis “to offer Australia’s support in any way that can be of assistance.”

The dire situation comes less than a month after 15 Marines and one Navy corpsman were killed in a plane crash and two months after seven sailors on the USS Fitzgerald drowned at sea in a collision with a container ship.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Three U.S. Marines are missing after an MV-22 Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit "entered the water" Saturday off of Australia's east coast.

In a statement, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said that following a "mishap," 23 out of 26 personnel aboard had been rescued and that a search and rescue mission was underway for the remaining three.

The "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," tweeted III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Japan.

The MV-22 Osprey "had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water," said the Marines.

The unit was in Australia as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.

The V-22 Osprey is a combination aircraft, says its maker Boeing, with helicopterlike rotors allowing it to hover; once airborne, it can convert to a fixed-wing plane capable of high speeds and altitudes.

Saturday's incident comes a few weeks after a Marine Corps refueling aircraft crashed in Mississippi, killing all 16 people aboard.

This is a developing story. We will update as the situation develops.</s>The US military said on Saturday that a search was underway for three US service members after the “mishap” of a military aircraft off the east coast of Australia.

“The United States Marine Corps confirms there is an active search and rescue operation ongoing for service members involved in an MV-22 mishap off the east coast of Australia,” said the US Marine Corps in a statement.

“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 statement added.

According to the US military, the MV-22, with 26 personnel aboard, was launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water.

The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation.</s>Three U.S. Marines are missing after an MV-22 Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit "entered the water" Saturday off of Australia's east coast.

In a statement, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said that following a "mishap," 23 out of 26 personnel aboard had been rescued and that a search and rescue mission was underway for the remaining three.

The "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," tweeted III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Japan.

The MV-22 Osprey "had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water," said the Marines.

The unit was in Australia as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.

The V-22 Osprey is a combination aircraft, says its maker Boeing, with helicopterlike rotors allowing it to hover; once airborne, it can convert to a fixed-wing plane capable of high speeds and altitudes.

Saturday's incident comes a few weeks after a Marine Corps refueling aircraft crashed in Mississippi, killing all 16 people aboard.

This is a developing story. We will update as the situation develops.</s>U.S. service members were missing Saturday after their aircraft crashed off the east coast of Australia, the United States Marine Corps said.

Twenty-three of the 26 personnel aboard the Osprey heli-plane have been rescued, NBC News reported.

The aircraft was conducting regularly scheduled operations when it crashed into the sea. Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had been briefed on the situation and had spoken with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis.



Vessels and aircraft from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group are taking part in the rescue operation.</s>Three U.S. Marines are missing after an MV-22 Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit "entered the water" Saturday off of Australia's east coast.

In a statement, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said that following a "mishap," 23 out of 26 personnel aboard had been rescued but a search and rescue mission was underway for the remaining three.

"The 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," tweeted III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Japan.

The MV-22 Osprey "had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water," said the Marines.

The unit was in Australia as part of a regularly-scheduled deployment.

The V-22 Osprey is a combination aircraft, says its maker Boeing, with helicopter-like rotors allowing it to hover; once airborne it can convert to a fixed-wing plane capable of high-speeds and altitudes.

Saturday's incident comes a few weeks after a Marine Corps refueling aircraft crashed in Mississippi, killing all 16 people aboard.

This is a developing story. We will update as the situation develops.</s>Three U.S. Marines are missing after an MV-22 Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit "entered the water" Saturday off of Australia's east coast.

In a statement, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said that following a "mishap," 23 out of 26 personnel aboard had been rescued and that a search and rescue mission was underway for the remaining three.

The "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," tweeted III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Japan.

The MV-22 Osprey "had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water," said the Marines.

The unit was in Australia as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.

The V-22 Osprey is a combination aircraft, says its maker Boeing, with helicopterlike rotors allowing it to hover; once airborne, it can convert to a fixed-wing plane capable of high speeds and altitudes.

Saturday's incident comes a few weeks after a Marine Corps refueling aircraft crashed in Mississippi, killing all 16 people aboard.

This is a developing story. We will update as the situation develops.</s>Three U.S. Marines are missing after an MV-22 Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit "entered the water" Saturday off of Australia's east coast.

In a statement, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said that following a "mishap," 23 out of 26 personnel aboard had been rescued but a search and rescue mission was underway for the remaining three.

"The 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," tweeted III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Japan.

The MV-22 Osprey "had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water," said the Marines.

The unit was in Australia as part of a regularly-scheduled deployment.

The V-22 Osprey is a combination aircraft, says its maker Boeing, with helicopter-like rotors allowing it to hover; once airborne it can convert to a fixed-wing plane capable of high-speeds and altitudes.

Saturday's incident comes a few weeks after a Marine Corps refueling aircraft crashed in Mississippi, killing all 16 people aboard.

This is a developing story. We will update as the situation develops.
Searches are underway for three members of the United States Marine Corps missing after a MV-22 Osprey crashed off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland. Twenty three of the twenty six people on board have been rescued.