The U.S. Navy recovered an MH-60R Seahawk and an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the South China Sea on Dec. 5. The aircraft came from USS Nimitz. Both crashed on Oct. 26, about 30 minutes apart. The Navy said recovery teams lifted them from about 400 feet.
“Both aircraft were recovered intact,” a Navy official said Tuesday. “All recovered aircraft components are being transported to a designated U.S. military installation in the Indo-Pacific region for detailed analysis,” the Navy’s 7th Fleet said. Officials did not release the recovery location.
Dec. 5 recovery lifts both aircraft from about 400 feet
The Navy said teams located the jet and helicopter and raised them on Dec. 5. The service did not publish coordinates. It also did not name the receiving installation in the Indo-Pacific.
The depth figure stood out because it kept the lift inside a range the Navy handles often. The Navy still used a specialized plan. A small error can damage key evidence. According to industry sources, planners chose a method meant to keep both airframes intact during the lift.
The Navy did not release a detailed timeline for the work on scene. It kept the public description 97limited to depth, date, and the organizations involved. The service also avoided a public breakdown of what parts came up first.
Task Force 73 SUPSALV and the contractor vessel supported the lift
The Navy said the recovery effort included Commander, Task Force 73, Task Force 75, Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, and CTG 73.6’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit. The 7th Fleet release also said the Navy used a contracted Vessel of Opportunity.
The Navy said the contracted ship carried a government-owned, contractor-operated unmanned system used to lift and recover the aircraft. Officials did not name the ship. They did not name the unmanned system.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Andersen, the CTF 73 officer who led the salvage mission, credited a broad team. “This recovery was a true Navy team effort across CTF 73, SUPSALV, Task Force 75, HSM 73, VFA 22, and our Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit,” Andersen said in a statement. “Everyone involved brought critical expertise ensuring we could safely and successfully bring these aircraft back under U.S. custody. This operation highlights the importance of naval integration, readiness, and the unmatched capability of our salvage and diving teams.”
Earlier in the effort, a fleet spokesperson said USNS Salvor supported recovery operations. On Nov. 20, the Navy said Salvor was “on-scene conducting operations in support of the recovery efforts.” Officials have not said how Salvor’s work connected to the Dec. 5 lift. Marine tracking later showed Salvor docked in Singapore on Dec. 7.
Defense officials confirm the Navy relied on both salvage units and contracted support for the job. The public unit list points to Navy planning and oversight paired with contractor equipment for the lift.
Oct. 26 crashes happened within about 30 minutes from USS Nimitz
The MH-60R and the F/A-18F went down on Oct. 26 in the South China Sea. The Navy said the helicopter crashed first. The jet followed about 30 minutes later.
Officials have not released a cause for either mishap. The Navy has said the investigations remain open. The service has not published a narrative of what happened in either cockpit.
The aircraft belonged to two squadrons assigned to Nimitz. The MH-60R came from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73. The Super Hornet came from Strike Fighter Squadron 22.
Both crews survived. The Navy said rescue teams recovered the people from each aircraft soon after the incidents. Officials did not report serious injuries in early statements.
President Donald Trump suggested a possible fuel issue after the crashes. “it could be bad fuel. I mean, it’s possible it’s bad fuel,” he said. The Navy has not released findings that confirm a fuel problem. Officials have not released details on sampling or test results.
Navy officials have also said they saw no “nefarious” circumstances behind the crashes. The service has not linked the incidents to hostile action.
Recovery supports investigation and keeps sensitive wreckage under US control
The Navy said recovered components will move to a U.S. military installation in the Indo-Pacific for analysis. Officials did not name the site. They did not outline how long the analysis will take.
The South China Sea factor drove tight handling of the location and transfer. Officials did not discuss foreign recovery risk in their release. They also did not describe what sensitive items remained on the seafloor before the lift. The decision to recover both aircraft intact reduced exposure for parts that draw intelligence interest.
The recovery happened a day after the Navy released investigation results on separate F/A-18 losses tied to USS Truman. Those incidents included one case where a Super Hornet was shot down by USS Gettysburg. A Navy official previously confirmed those jets were not recovered.
The cause of the Nimitz crashes remains unknown. The Navy said Tuesday the investigations continue now that both aircraft are available for detailed analysis. Our analysis shows the service moved fast once the lift finished, and it kept public details narrow while it secured the wreckage.
REFERENCE SOURCES
- https://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/4354728/us-navy-recovers-fa-18f-mh-60r-aircraft-lost-from-uss-nimitz/
- https://news.usni.org/2025/10/26/super-hornet-helicopter-assigned-to-uss-nimitz-crash-in-south-china-sea-in-separate-incidents-crew-safe
- https://apnews.com/article/navy-nimitz-aircraft-carrier-crashes-8afee8488bd39371350fe0a1dd55374d
- https://www.twz.com/news-features/crashed-navy-super-hornet-and-seahawk-fished-out-of-south-china-sea
- https://www.twz.com/sea/navy-salvage-ship-trying-to-fish-crashed-super-hornet-and-seahawk-out-of-south-china-sea
- https://breakingdefense.com/2025/11/us-navy-mobilizes-units-to-salvage-crashed-aircraft-in-south-china-sea/
- https://www.clwp.navy.mil/About-Us/History/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_Force_75
