What's happened
A Royal Navy member has died following a Merlin Mk4 helicopter crash during night-flying exercises with HMS Queen Elizabeth in the English Channel near Dorset. Two other crew members were rescued and are not seriously injured. The Royal Navy has announced a full investigation into the incident.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to BBC News, the Royal Navy confirmed the death and stated, 'It is with great sadness that we must report a member of the Royal Navy has died following a training incident last night.' Metro echoed this sentiment, noting that Defence Secretary John Healey described the news as 'dreadful.' The Guardian reported that the Prime Minister expressed his condolences, stating he was 'deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death.' Sky News emphasized the ongoing investigation and the emotional impact on the military community, with Healey stating, 'All my thoughts... are with the family, the friends and the close colleagues of the one we've lost today.'
How we got here
The incident occurred during a routine training exercise involving night-flying operations with the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. The helicopter reportedly ditched in the Channel, leading to the tragic loss of one crew member.
Common question
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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The Royal Navy is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the English kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against the Kingdom of France.
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John Healey is a British Labour Party politician serving as Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Dearne since 1997 and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence since 2020.
Healey was Minister of State for Housing and Planning in the Brown Government.
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The English Channel, also called simply the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France and links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end.