The US Navy confirmed that two people were killed in a helicopter crash last week in Oman.
The Navy's Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, identified the killed sailors last night as Sean P Sullivan, a 40-year-old senior chief aviation warfare systems operator, and Naval Aircrewman Helicopter 2nd Class Joseph P Fitzmorris, 31.
It said three other crew members aboard the downed MH-53E Sea Dragon survived last Thursday's crash.
The helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron 15. It crashed almost 100 kilometres south-west of Muscat, the Omani capital.
No hostile activity was suspected, but the US Navy said it is investigating.