Two US fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park after a training exercise went wrong.
The two AV-8B Harrier jets were launched from aircraft carrier USS Bonhomme Richard.
Each jettisoned an inert bomb and an unarmed explosive bomb in the World Heritage-listed marine park, off the coast of Queensland, on Tuesday last week, the US 7th Fleet said at the weekend. There were no explosions.
The four bombs were dropped in more than 50m of water away from coral to minimise the possibility of damage to the reef, the navy said on Saturday.
The jets – from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit – had intended to drop their ordnance on the Townshend Island bombing range.
But the mission was aborted when controllers reported the area was not clear of hazards.
The pilots had to jettison the bombs because they were low on fuel and could not land while carrying them, the navy said.
About 28000 US and Australian military personnel are taking part in a biennial joint training exercise, Talisman Saber, which lasts for three weeks.
The US Navy and the Marine Corps are working with Australian authorities to identify all the factors that contributed to the incident, the navy said.- Sapa/AP