Navy Recovers F-35C Sunk In South China Sea In ‘Landing Mishap’

The aircraft was hoisted by a crane from a depth of 12,400 feet in the South China Sea, the Navy said.

Friday, March 04, 2022 at 02:43 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. [Courtesy: U.S. Navy]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Navy successfully recovered an F-35C Lightning II fighter jet that crashed into the South China Sea, retrieving it from a depth of 12,400 feet.
The recovery operation, completed within 37 days of the January incident, involved a specialized diving support vessel and a remotely operated vehicle to hoist the aircraft.
A key priority for the Navy was to swiftly recover the advanced stealth fighter to prevent other countries, particularly China, from accessing its technology or making salvage claims in the contested region.
The F-35C will now undergo inspection as part of an ongoing investigation into the landing mishap.

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The U.S. Navy has successfully recovered a F-35C Lightning II that went down into the South China Sea in a “landing mishap” earlier this year.

U.S. 7th Fleet’s Task Force (CTF) 75 and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) launched the salvage effort in late January after a Navy pilot ejected during a routine flight operation aboard the USS Carl Vinson and the fighter jet assigned to the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 plunged into the ocean.