Navy Launches F-35 Recovery Efforts Following 'Landing Mishap'

The U.S. Navy has launched a salvage operation in the South China Sea in an attempt to retrieve a F-35C that went down into the South China Sea during a "landing mishap" earlier this week.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 04:26 PM ET

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A Navy pilot ejected from the F-35C Lightning II during the incident and was recovered from the water by a U.S. military helicopter.

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. Navy F-35C fighter jet crashed into the South China Sea during a landing mishap on the USS Carl Vinson, prompting an ongoing salvage operation.
The pilot ejected safely and was recovered in stable condition, but seven sailors aboard the USS Carl Vinson sustained injuries, with three transported to a medical facility.
The Navy prioritizes recovering the advanced stealth fighter to prevent other nations, particularly China, from accessing its sensitive technology in the geopolitically contested South China Sea.

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The U.S. Navy has launched a salvage operation in the South China Sea in an attempt to retrieve a F-35C that went down into the South China Sea during a “landing mishap” earlier this week.

“The U.S. Navy is making recovery operations arrangements for the F-35C aircraft involved in the mishap aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the South China Sea, Jan. 24,” 7th Fleet spokesperson Lt. Nicholas Lingo said in a statement.