Navy Offers to Help Recover Its Bombs from Great Barrier Reef

The U.S. Navy on Tuesday offered Australia any help it wanted to retrieve four bombs mistakenly dropped inside the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef marine park last week.

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Tuesday offered Australia any help it wanted to retrieve four bombs mistakenly dropped inside the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef marine park last week.

U.S. Navy Harrier fighter jets were forced to drop the bombs, two inert and two carrying explosives but not armed, after civilian boats were spotted near their original target.

The aircraft, which were not able to land safely carrying the bombs, were participating in Operation Talisman Saber, a joint U.S.-Australian military exercise involving nearly 30,000 personnel, mostly around northern Australia.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Vice Admiral Scott Swift, the commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, said a decision on whether to leave the bombs or retrieve them was up to the Australian government.

"Once that determination has been made, we'll work closely with whoever is designated to remediate the problem. If that means removal of the weapons, I'd be happy to participate," Swift told media aboard an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. George Washington, 200 km (125 miles) off the Australian coast.

The bombs were lying in 50 to 60 meters (160 ft to 200 ft) of water, posed little risk to the reef or shipping and could easily be picked up by Navy divers, a spokesman added.

Environmentalists have criticized holding such large-scale military exercises in sensitive areas such as the Great Barrier Reef, which is under threat from increased commercial shipping, climate change and an invasive starfish infestation, the United Nations says.

Swift and Australian Brigadier General David Coghlan said the site had been used for decades and the risks were manageable.

"We have a long history of good stewardship in that area and we have a solid environmental program," Coghlan said. "We look at the risk every year, every day."

(Reporting by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American