US Navy says it recovered two aircraft that crashed into South China Sea
By Brad Lendon, CNN
(CNN) — The US Navy has recovered two aircraft that crashed into the South China Sea in October while flying off the USS Nimitz, the service said in a statement Tuesday.
An unmanned system on a contracted vessel was used to lift the aircraft – an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet and MH-60 helicopter – from a depth of 400 feet (122 meters) on December 5, the Navy said.
While neither are the most modern of the Navy’s aircraft, experts say the wrecks could have yielded useful intelligence if they had fallen into the hands of an adversary.
“Everyone involved brought critical expertise ensuring we could safely and successfully bring these aircraft back under US custody,” Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Andersen, the officer in charge of the salvage mission, said in a statement.
Bracketed by China and several Southeast Asian nations, parts of the vital South China Sea are claimed by multiple governments, but Beijing asserts ownership over almost all of the strategic waterway, in defiance of an international court ruling.
Over the past two decades, China has fortified its territorial claims by constructing military installations on contested islands and reefs. The US says China’s assertions and military buildup threaten freedom of navigation and free trade.
US forces maintain a steady presence in the region to push back on Chinese sovereignty claims and support Washington’s allies and partners.
The two aircraft crashed within 30 minutes of each other during routine operations off the aircraft carrier in late October.
No official cause has been given for the crashes, but US President Donald Trump suggested to reporters shortly after the incidents that contaminated fuel may have been to blame. All crew members were rescued.
The Navy’s statement Tuesday said an investigation into the crashes was continuing.
“All recovered aircraft components are being transported to a designated U.S. military installation in the Indo-Pacific region for detailed analysis,” the Navy said in a statement.
The latest recovery effort follows a similar mission in 2022, when an F-35 jet, the Navy’s most advanced fighter, crashed while attempting to land on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
The F-35 was eventually pulled up from under 12,400 feet (3,700 meters) of water by a Navy recovery team.
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