The names of four missing Australian Defence Force soldiers whose army helicopter crashed into the ocean have been shared.
The Australian Army MRH90 helicopter, known as a Taipan, was flying in formation with an American Black Hawk late on Friday night (local time) when it crashed.
But attention is turning to the Australian helicopter, where the fleet has been plagued by trouble and surrounded by controversy for years.
The slabs of debris once part of the Australian helicopter have been hauled out of the water. It's been a united effort by military allies who've been searching exhaustively for its four crew now at the centre of their own military operation.
The four personnel who were onboard were named on Sunday. They are Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
"Today every Australian is thinking of the four families of the missing aircrew," said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Like in real war, there is always a risk in war games.
"This is a stark reminder that there are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country's name," Albanese said.
But Australia's Taipan fleet, now grounded across the country, has been plagued by trouble with a history of safety issues, engine failures, and crashes. So much so, it's due to be replaced next year by American Black Hawks.
The recovered wreckage will form part of the crash investigation, with reports that crucial software updates to prevent engine failure weren't done earlier this year.
Answering the question four families want to know more than most: why this tragedy happened.
