A rescue helicopter has picked up two people from the Moray Firth after two RAF Tornado jets crashed in the sea.
The RNLI said the Coastguard helicopter from Stornoway carried out the rescue soon after the planes crashed at around 1.50pm.
The two people were flown to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
But it is understood that two other people are still missing.
Lifeboats from Wick, Invergordon and Buckie have been sent to the scene, around 25 miles south-east of Wick, near the Beatrice oilfield.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "We are aware of an incident in the Moray Firth area involving two Tornado GR4s from RAF Lossiemouth."
The RNLI said the Coastguard helicopter from Stornoway carried out the rescue soon after the planes crashed at around 1.50pm.
The two people were flown to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
But it is understood that two other people are still missing.
Lifeboats from Wick, Invergordon and Buckie have been sent to the scene, around 25 miles south-east of Wick, near the Beatrice oilfield.
Goup Captain Ian Gale, RAF Lossiemouth station commander, said his thoughts are with the families and friends of those involved.
"It is with great regret that I must confirm the loss of two Tornado GR4 aircraft, from this station, in an incident in the Moray Firth today," he said in a statement released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
"The circumstances remain uncertain but clearly this is a very serious incident. This incident involved four aircrew, all personnel from this station, and the thoughts of everyone here are with the families and friend of those involved."
He would not comment on the aircrews' condition or the circumstances of the incident.
"I can confirm that two individuals have been recovered and two remain unaccounted for. Rescue operations are continuing and I would like to record my gratitude for the ongoing efforts of all those involved.
"I am confident that the Tornado aircraft on this station are operated as safely as they possibly can be - however, today's incident is a stark reminder that the military operations and training we conduct are not without risk.
"What happened today is under investigation and more details will be released by the Royal Air Force in due course. Until then, I would ask the media to respect that this is a difficult time for the family, friends and colleagues of those involved and for the whole of the RAF Lossiemouth community."
Tornado aircraft have been involved in crashes in Scotland in recent years.
In January last year two RAF crew were rescued after their Tornado GR4 jet came down in the sea off the west coast of Scotland. The crew, from RAF Lossiemouth, ejected from the plane before it landed in the waters at Loch Ewe, near Gairloch, Wester Ross.
In July 2009 an RAF pilot and navigator were killed when their Tornado jet crashed into a hillside in Argyll. Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Thompson, 27, and Flight Lieutenant Nigel Morton, 43, died in the crash near the village of Arrochar. The aircraft was a RAF Leuchars-based Tornado F3 on a routine flight.
RAF Lossiemouth, on the Moray Firth coast, is home to three squadrons of Tornado GR4s.
The Tornado GR4 is a two-seat attack aircraft, capable of delivering a variety of weapons and reaching a maximum altitude of 50,000ft (15,240m).
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