US fighter jet bombs Australian building by accident

A US Marine Corps fighter jet dropped a bomb and damaged a building in an accident at a remote military range in northern Australia, the government said today.

The bomb, dropped by an F/A-18 Hornet, exploded near a control tower and damaged facilities at the Delamere Air Weapons Range in the Northern Territory on Wednesday, the defence department said in a statement.

No one was injured and no details were released on the extent of the damage.

All bombing exercises have ceased at the weapons range, some 80 miles south of the town of Katherine.

The US Marine contingent, which is based in Japan, was conducting an annual training exercise called Southern Frontier that involves 500 troops, 15 F/A-18 Hornets and two KC-130 Hercules aircraft.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he had received an initial report of the incident.

“Things like this will always happen; we hope not very frequently and we hope not any more dangerously,” Howard said.

“But the idea that you can conduct any kind of military exercise without some kind of potential for mishap is unrealistic.”

The US Marine Corps said the ordnance was a 500lb laser-guided bomb.