US Mil Aircraft Lost
 

Very limited reporting of an aircraft lost on friday in the eastern Med, the only thing i can gather is that there are more than one crew members and it was one a training mission rather than ops.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/11/polit...sea/index.html

US military says 5 crew members died when an aircraft crashed over the Mediterranean

Looks like KC-135 or KC-46 from the crew numbers

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/y...terranean-sea/

Five US troops killed in military aircraft crash in Mediterranean Sea

Five U.S. troops are dead after an American military aircraft crashed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Friday evening, U.S. European Command confirmed in a statement Sunday.

The crew was conducting a “routine air refueling mission” during a training sortie when their aircraft suffered a mishap, the command said. All aboard were killed.

It’s unclear whether the downed aircraft was an aerial refueling tanker or the receiving aircraft. The command first announced the accident on Saturday but has declined to say what type of aircraft was involved.

The mishap prompted an “immediate” rescue effort that included nearby U.S. military aircraft and ships, the command said.

European Command did not provide further details about where in the region the plane went down.

However, the U.S. issued a flight notice early Saturday noting a “search-and-rescue operation in progress” in the span of sea between Cyprus and Lebanon.

Planespotters on social media flagged multiple Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance planes patrolling the water south of Cyprus on Saturday, as well as an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III — often used for aeromedical evacuations — departing the area.

It’s unclear whether the aircraft was training as part of routine operations in Europe, or if it was over the Mediterranean Sea as part of a deterrent force that has arrived in the region in recent weeks.…

The military is investigating the cause of the mishap. It will not release the names of the deceased until 24 hours after their families have been notified, in accordance with Pentagon policy.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen,” European Command said.

Refueling accident?
 

I saw this headline, but nothing else. Does anyone have fresh info?Five American service members were killed during a training exercise Sunday after a military aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.

A fatal mishap occurred onboard during a routine air refueling mission, according to the U.S. European Command.

Search and rescue operations have begun, and the Department of Defense is withholding the fallen crew members’ identities until their next of kin have been notified.

https://www.eucom.mil/article/42557/...oHdYIKM8GeQgd8

In my view, it is more likely an E-2D Hawkeye which has a crew of 5 and unlike earlier versions is AAR capable.

The KC-135R has a normal crew of 3 (or 4 if they add a Nav) and the KC-46A has a normal crew of 3.

USN Seahawk

Reported elsewhere as a helicopter ;

https://abcnews.go.com/US/5-us-servi...y?id=104830136

Blimey, they don't have a backup second Boom operator on board?. Really surprised that such a critical mission is performed with minimal crewing.

For every soul lost in training you save many more in combat. Or something like that. A little reminder that the bill for peace increases each year.

Now confirmed as a MH-60M Black Hawk helicopter from U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)

Do they do routine refueling ops over sea with full compliment of seals onboard (rhetorical question)... ? RIP

Why would they not do that, and thus why would then not train for that? One needs to able to refuel enroute to wherever one is headed. That unit gets sent to a wide variety of places.
Saw a news item that showed five faces with their names, so my best guess is that Next of Kin have been notified.
RIP.

Not to take away from your question, according to the news, all were Army, no SEALs.

Correct. U.S. Army Special Ops - so actually widens the range of missions. I stand corrected.

Photos/Names of crew lost. R.I.P.

Army IDs 5 Soldiers Killed in Eastern Med. Helo Crash - USNI News

FWIW: According to Admiral Mullen, the SEAL team which took out Osama Bin Laden were carried by Army Aviators (I am guessing TF-160 guys) in those fancy/special Blackhawks which became infamous thanks to the mishap during the mission.
Ward Carroll has a nice interview with Admiral Mullen about that raid.