By: Adam ThornDefence Minister Richard Marles has said authorities have now lost all hope of finding the four missing crew of the crashed Taipan.
He added that defence exercises such as the one they were involved in are critical to securing the country and hailed the men for “making a difference”.
It comes after the helicopter crashed south of Hamilton Island on Friday while participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre, an enormous war game involving 30,000 participants.
However, the incident has raised questions surrounding the use of the Taipan, which has been involved in multiple groundings and is set to exit the ADF next year.
On Sunday, the four men were named as Captain Daniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph Laycock, and Corporal Alexander Naggs.