Washington, 14 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip to Germany suffered a setback after his plane experienced a mechanical problem on Thursday, local media reported.

Rubio was on his way to the Munich Security Conference (MSC), however a "mechanical issue" forced the plane to return to the US.

It landed safely at the Joint Base Andrews military airfield near Washington late on Thursday, US media reported, citing a spokeswoman for the US State Department.

Following the MSC, Rubio is scheduled to visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"The secretary intends to continue his travel to Germany and the Middle East on a separate aircraft," CBS quoted spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, who is traveling with Rubio, as saying.

The mechanical problem was a crack in the machine's windshield, NBC reported, citing the spokeswoman.

Leading politicians, diplomats and security experts are meeting on Friday at the MSC, which is considered one of the world's most important security policy forums.

It wasn't initially clear when Rubio would arrive in Germany.