The US Navy is mounting a high-stakes operation in the South China Sea to recover two aircraft that crashed into the waters within minutes of each other, amid concerns that the wreckage could provide valuable intelligence to China if retrieved by Beijing first.
The aircraft, an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet and an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter, went down in late October while operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during routine missions. All personnel were safely rescued.
Although the Navy has not released an official cause, then-President Donald Trump suggested soon after the incidents that contaminated fuel may have been responsible.
The Navy confirmed on Friday that a salvage vessel is now on-site. “USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52), a Safeguard-class salvage ship operated by Military Sealift Command, is on-scene conducting operations in support of the recovery efforts,” said Cmdr. Matthew Comer of the 7th Fleet. The Navy did not disclose the precise crash location for security reasons.
The Salvor can lift up to 300 tons from the seafloor, far exceeding the weight of both aircraft, with the F/A-18’s maximum takeoff weight at about 33 tons and the MH-60 around 11 tons.
Although neither aircraft is the Navy’s most advanced, analysts warn their recovery is strategically significant. Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said that if China were to access an intact airframe or key systems, it could gain insights into US tactical advantages.
An F/A-18 has never fallen into Chinese hands, and Schuster noted that studying one could help Beijing refine the PLAN’s J-15T carrier-based jets. The MH-60, he added, carries sophisticated anti-submarine warfare (ASW) technology, a field China is aggressively trying to improve.
“Recovering that helicopter should enjoy a high priority,” Schuster said, given China’s ongoing ASW modernization effort.
It remains unclear whether China is attempting to locate the wrecks. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling rejecting its assertions. China has also spent years enhancing its control through military construction on disputed reefs and islands.
The US operation mirrors a 2022 recovery mission, when the Navy salvaged an F-35 fighter jet from 12,400 feet of water after it crashed during a failed landing attempt on the USS Carl Vinson.
While Washington maintains a strong naval presence in the region to counter China’s expansive maritime claims, Schuster noted that China holds geographical advantages in any competition to retrieve downed hardware. “If China makes it a race, it enjoys homefield advantage,” he said, adding it could attempt to obstruct US efforts.
After the crashes, China’s Foreign Ministry offered “humanitarian assistance” if needed,while simultaneously criticizing US military activity in the region. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the incidents occurred during “US military exercises,” arguing that Washington’s presence is the “root cause of security issues at sea” and regional instability.
The recovery operation remains underway.
Source: CNN
Written By Rodney Mbua
