Gawker.com reports that two inert practice bombs, and two unarmed, but very powerful, laser-guided explosives, were dropped just a few meters away from the reef.
The pilots were apparently running low on fuel after an exercise mix-up and had to unload their bombs before landing, but accidentally dropped them nearer the reef than they’d intended.
“Have we gone completely mad?” Australian Senator Larissa Waters, the Greens party’s spokeswoman told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “Is this how we look after our World Heritage area now? Letting a foreign power drop bombs on it?”
The four bombs, which weigh a total 1.8 metric tons, did not explode on impact. The Navy is investigating the incident.
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