Four Australian aviators missing at sea following an army helicopter crash have been identified.
Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs were on board the Taipan helicopter when it crashed during a military exercise on Friday night.
The MRH-90 helicopter had been conducting training as a part of Exercise Talisman Sabre near Queensland’s Hamilton Island.
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Australian Army chief Simon Stuart said the men were based at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney.
“They’re part of a really tight team, a very highly professional, highly skilled aviation unit,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them – as professionals, as soldiers and as people.”
Stuart shared the names of the missing four soldiers on Sunday afternoon with permission of the families involved.
“My thoughts and prayers are with their families and mates here at the Sixth Aviation Regiment as they wait for more news about their loved ones,” he said.
“We will continue to support their families and mates in the coming days, weeks, months and years no matter the outcome.”
The four Defence personnel are missing and feared dead, with only debris found in the water during the search.
An exclusion zone remains in place in waters south of Hamilton Island, from the southern tip of Long Island, east to Perseverance Island, south to Cole Island, and west to the mainland at Round Head.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked all those involved in the search, saying the incident was a stark reminder that there were “no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country’s name”.
“On behalf of our nation, our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and colleagues of those who are missing,” he told reporters on Sunday.
The search resumed on Sunday morning with Navy divers called in to assist.
HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Adelaide have been deployed with sonar equipment.
Talisman Sabre director Damian Hill confirmed 47 MRH-90 helicopters had been grounded until further notice, although details of what might have led to Friday’s crash are yet to be disclosed.
It is the second time an Australian MRH-90 has been involved in an emergency this year after a Taipan ditched into waters off the NSW south coast in March.
The helicopter has earned a reputation as unreliable in recent years, with malfunctions and technical issues forcing several earlier groundings of the fleet.
– with AAP