ANJ, December 10 - In a high-stakes operation deep in the contested South China Sea, the U.S. Navy has successfully recovered both an F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Seahawk that crashed within 30 minutes of each other on October 26, 2025. The rare double loss occurred during routine flight operations aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68), flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11, while conducting freedom-of-navigation and presence missions in the strategically vital waterway. All five crew members, two Super Hornet aircrew from VFA-22 and three MH-60R personnel from HSM-73, were rescued within minutes by the carrier’s alert SAR swimmer and MH-60S Knighthawk, suffering only minor injuries despite the violent impacts.
The dramatic recoveries, completed December 5, 2025, mark one of the deepest and fastest dual-aircraft salvage operations in modern naval history. Working from USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52) and a commercial heavy-lift vessel, Navy divers and remotely operated vehicles from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One located both aircraft in approximately 400 feet of water, remarkably intact. Advanced curvature winches and fly-away deep-ocean salvage systems lifted the $70 million Super Hornet and $40 million Seahawk to the surface in under ten days, preventing sensitive radar, electronic warfare suites, and weapons targeting systems from falling into unauthorized hands in one of the world’s most heavily monitored maritime regions.
Initial investigations suggest the incidents were unrelated: the Seahawk suffered a sudden dual-engine rollback shortly after launch, while the Super Hornet experienced a catastrophic flight-control malfunction during a routine training evolution. The back-to-back losses sent shockwaves through the air wing, yet the flight deck crew’s rapid shift to recovery mode and the carrier’s alert helicopters executing textbook rescues underscored the rigorous training that defines carrier aviation in the Indo-Pacific theater. Both aircraft have been transported to a secure facility for detailed failure analysis that will influence future safety modifications across the fleet.
The swift South China Sea aircraft salvage operation reinforces America’s technical dominance and determination to protect classified technology even in hostile waters routinely shadowed by Chinese intelligence vessels. As Nimitz prepares to return to Bremerton after an extended nine-month deployment, the recovery of the Super Hornet and Seahawk from the South China Sea floor stands as a powerful demonstration of U.S. Navy operational resilience, deep-water salvage capability, and unwavering commitment to maintaining air and maritime superiority in the region.