The US Navy is attempting to recover an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an MH-60 helicopter from the South China Sea after both aircraft crashed during late-October operations off the USS Nimitz; all crew were rescued. The salvage ship USNS Salvor is on scene and can lift heavy objects from the seafloor, while officials emphasize the intelligence value of the wrecks, particularly the MH-60’s anti-submarine systems. Beijing’s territorial claims and geographic proximity could complicate recovery efforts, and investigations into the cause of the crashes are ongoing.
US Navy Racing to Recover F/A-18 and MH-60 Wrecks in the South China Sea
The US Navy is attempting to recover an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an MH-60 helicopter from the South China Sea after both aircraft crashed during late-October operations off the USS Nimitz; all crew were rescued. The salvage ship USNS Salvor is on scene and can lift heavy objects from the seafloor, while officials emphasize the intelligence value of the wrecks, particularly the MH-60’s anti-submarine systems. Beijing’s territorial claims and geographic proximity could complicate recovery efforts, and investigations into the cause of the crashes are ongoing.
03:12 PM, 11/21/2025Security
The US Navy is conducting a recovery operation to retrieve two aircraft — an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an MH-60 helicopter — from the seabed of the South China Sea after both crashed during routine operations off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in late October. All crew members were rescued, and officials are working to secure the wrecks to prevent sensitive systems from being examined by potential adversaries.
Recovery operation
US Navy officials say the salvage ship USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52), a Safeguard-class vessel operated by Military Sealift Command, is on scene supporting recovery efforts. The Salvor can lift objects weighing up to 300 tons from the seafloor, while the F/A-18 Super Hornet’s maximum takeoff weight is roughly 33 tons and the MH-60 around 11 tons, placing both well within the ship’s rated capacity, subject to depth and seabed conditions.
Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the Navy’s 7th Fleet, confirmed the Salvor is conducting operations in the area but declined to release precise coordinates of the crash sites or the ship’s current position.
Why the wrecks matter
Although neither aircraft represents the newest platforms in the fleet, analysts warn the wreckage could yield valuable technical and tactical intelligence if recovered by an adversary. Former intelligence official Carl Schuster noted that an intact airframe and surviving systems can reveal technological strengths and vulnerabilities, potentially informing upgrades to foreign carrier aircraft or anti-air tactics. He specifically highlighted the MH-60’s anti-submarine warfare systems as a high-value target for study.
Regional context and risks
The South China Sea is a strategic and contested waterway. Beijing asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire sea, a stance at odds with international rulings, and has built military facilities on several disputed features in recent decades. That posture, combined with geographic proximity, gives China an advantage in any race to reach downed equipment, and US officials acknowledge the possibility that Chinese vessels could attempt to interfere with recovery operations.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Beijing could offer humanitarian assistance following the incidents while describing the events as occurring during "US military exercises," and warned that frequent US military activity in the region contributes to maritime tensions.
Precedent
The current operation follows an earlier complex recovery in 2022, when a Navy F-35 was retrieved from about 12,400 feet (3,700 meters) of water after crashing while attempting to land on the USS Carl Vinson. That effort demonstrated the technical and logistical challenges involved in deep-water salvage and the high priority given to recovering advanced systems.
Officials have not released a formal cause for the recent crashes; one public statement from the US president suggested contaminated fuel as a possible factor. Investigations into the incidents remain ongoing.
Note: Personnel safety was ensured during both incidents, and recovery teams continue their work amid regional sensitivities and operational constraints.