The U.S. Navy has recovered an F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Seahawk lost in two separate incidents within 30 minutes of each other off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz on Oct. 26, recovering both aircraft from a depth of about 400 feet amid concerns over safeguarding sensitive technology in the South China Sea.
The U.S. Navy has successfully recovered an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter after both aircraft were lost in separate incidents off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) on October 26, 2025.
According to U.S. Navy officials, the two mishaps occurred within 30 minutes of each other. The recovery operation was completed on December 5, 2025, in the Indo-Pacific region and involved multiple naval commands, including Commander, Task Force 73; Task Force 75; Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV); and specialized mobile diving and salvage units.
Both aircraft were located on the seabed at a depth of roughly 400 feet and were raised using a contracted recovery vessel equipped with a government-owned, contractor-operated unmanned lift system.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Andersen, who led the salvage mission under CTF 73, described the operation as a coordinated Navy-wide effort involving aviation squadrons and salvage teams, emphasizing the level of expertise and readiness required to successfully recover the aircraft and return them to U.S. custody.
The Navy said the recovered aircraft and components are being transported to a U.S. military facility in the Indo-Pacific for detailed technical examination. Investigations into the causes of both incidents are ongoing.
The recovery effort was treated as a high strategic priority due to the location of the incidents in the broader South China Sea region, one of the world’s most heavily contested maritime areas. Officials cited concerns that sensitive technology could have been accessed by foreign actors if the aircraft had not been secured quickly.
Due to China’s extensive surveillance and maritime presence in the region—including naval vessels, sensors, and recovery-capable platforms—the Navy moved swiftly to ensure exclusive control of the crash sites. No further details have been released regarding the condition of the aircraft at the time of recovery.
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