American fighters dropped four unarmed bombs weighing more than 225 kg on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia during a drill. It would have been a mistake, a mistake, which however could have irreparably damaged one of the most beautiful jewels of nature, as well as a World Heritage Site.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
I American fighters dropped four unarmed bombs weighing more than 225kg on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia during a drill. It would have been a mistake, a mistake, which, however, could have irreparably damaged one of the most beautiful jewels of nature, as well as a World Heritage Site.
The two planes ejected two inert and two unarmed bombs. The US Navy assures that the bombs fell in one sea area over 50 meters deep, away from corals, off the coast of Queensland to minimize damage. They were supposed to be in a field on a nearby island, Townshend Island, but the mission was aborted because the planes were running out of fuel and could not land loads. “We weren't quite sure we were going to drop the bombs. There were civilian boats under the planes ", said Commander William Marks of the United States Seventh Fleet on ABC Radio.
For this the planes dropped the bombs in the marine park. None of the devices exploded and, again according to the US Navy, do not represent a danger to navigation, although now the graphs will have to be updated to show the unexploded devices. “There is not the slightest environmental impact. It's a safety situation for the environment and for navigationCommander Marks continues.
However, the US Navy said it had not ruled out the idea of recovering the bombs from the seafloor. "If the park authority and Australian government agencies determine that they need to be removed, then we will coordinate with them for the recovery process," added Seventh Fleet spokesman Lieutenant David Levy. But one question remains. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral structure in the world and is rich in marine life. It stretches over 2.600km along the east coast of Australia. Is this the place to carry out military exercises?
Roberta Ragni
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