US Navy Successfully Lifts F-35C Stealth Jet From 12,400 Feet Deep In The South China Sea

The wreckage of an F-35C stealth fighter jet that was successfully lifted from the South China Sea. (Source: United States 7th Fleet)

JAKARTA - The United States Navy (US) has successfully recovered its stealth fighter jet that crashed into the South China Sea, after experiencing a single incident earlier this year.

The US 7th Fleet's Task Force (CTF) 75 and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) successfully evacuate an F-35C Lightning II aircraft that crashed earlier this year in the South China Sea, March 2.

The F-35C Lightning II, assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, crashed while the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) was conducting routine flight operations in the South China Sea on January 24.

The wreckage was recovered from a depth of about 12,400 feet by a team from CTF 75, and the NAVSEA Rescue and Dive Supervisor (SUPSALV) aboard the dive support construction vessel (DSCV) Picasso.

"The task force's expertise in fast and scalable command, control and communication, agile logistics, organic security, and explosive ordnance disposal is the most flexible options for fleet commanders to respond promptly", said CTF Commodore 75 Captain Gareth Healy, who launched the site of the United States 7th Fleet March 4.

"Ultimately, this deliberate approach resulted in the correct ability to perform recovery operations within 37 days of the incident. Given the unique challenges of this issue, as well as the unique technical capabilities that NAVSEA provides, this is an aggressive and achievable timeline".

The plane was found to be using a CURV-21, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which attaches a special harness and lift to the plane. The ship's tow-hook was then lowered to the seabed and connected to the rigging, lifting the plane to the surface and hoisting it onto Picasso.

Subsequently, the aircraft will be sent to a nearby military installation to assist with ongoing investigations, as well as being evaluated for possible transportation to the United States.

U.S. Navy Recovers F-35C from South China Sea

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— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) March 3, 2022

CTF 75 is the 7th Fleet's primary expeditionary task force and is responsible for planning and executing maritime security operations, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, engineering and construction, and underwater construction.

The task force also provides direct support for dive and rescue operations and expeditionary intelligence throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

According to The National News, seven sailors were injured in a 'landing accident' on January 24 on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). The fighter jet pilot managed to survive, after using the ejection seat to get out of the plane and then evacuated.

The USS Carl Vinson and another US aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), and their strike group were conducting exercises when the plane crashed.

The operation was carried out by the US Navy's 7th Fleet in collaboration with 35 maritime nations in the Indo-Pacific region. It is the largest forward-deployed naval fleet with 50 to 70 ships and submarines, 150 aircraft, and over 27,000 sailors and marines.

The South China Sea has become a center of global tensions, with China continuing to strengthen control over major islands and atolls. Beijing has sought to assert control over nearly all of the sea, but its claims overlap with those of Taiwan and other Southeast Asian nations.