Five US servicemen have been killed after their plane went down during a training mission.
The military aircraft was reportedly conducting a routine refuelling mission as part of training when it suffered a “mishap and crashed into the Mediterranean”.
US European Command (Eucom) confirmed that all five members of the crew had perished in the incident.
In a statement, Eucom said: “During a routine air refuelling mission as part of military training, a US military aircraft carrying five service members suffered a mishap and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
WATCH HERE: Biden has 'let down' US veterans
“All five of the service members onboard the aircraft were killed.”
The identities of the crew have not yet been revealed.
Eucom continued: “Out of respect for the affected families, and in accordance with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the crewmembers are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notifications have been completed.
“Search and rescue efforts began immediately, including nearby US military aircraft and ships.
US LATEST:
The world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrives at Mediterranean Sea.Reuters“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen.
“An investigation into the crash is underway.”
According to US Central Command (Centcom), which is responsible for a huge area reaching from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia, one of the US’s most powerful naval assets - an Ohio-class submarine - has been deployed to the region.
Fears erupt as US sends nuclear sub to Middle East in major show of forceCentcomIn a rare statement announcing the location of one of its submarines, Centcom said a nuclear submarine had been deployed but held off on giving more details.
“On November 5, 2023, an Ohio-class submarine arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility,” wrote on social media.
Since Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, the Pentagon has deployed two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean.
The ships are meant as a deterrent to ensure the conflict does not expand, but bring a significant amount of power to a region that already hosts a number of US military ships, planes and troops.
The Gerald R. Ford is one of the ships sent and is the US’s newest and the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
The carrier, which includes a nuclear reactor, can hold more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet jets and the E-2 Hawkeye, which can act as an early warning system.