Australian Navy locates US Marine helicopter that crashed off its northeast coast

A supplied image obtained from the U.S. Defence Force on August 6, 2017 shows search efforts for three U.S. Marines missing after their MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed into the sea off Australia's northeast coast. III MEF Marines, MC2 Sarah Villegas/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. Thomson Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian Navy has located a missing U.S. military aircraft that crashed in Australian waters on the weekend, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Monday.

"Royal Australian Navy survey ship Melville arrived in Shoalwater Bay overnight," Payne said in a statement. "Shortly after commencing survey operations in the area, the submerged aircraft was located."

(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)