Washington [US], November 22 (HBTV): The US Navy has begun a major recovery operation to lift two crashed aircraft from the South China Sea amid concerns that the wreckage could expose sensitive military technology to China. According to CNN, an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an MH-60 helicopter went down within half an hour of each other in late October during routine operations involving the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
All personnel aboard both aircraft were safely rescued. While the cause of the incidents has not yet been formally identified, US President Donald Trump told reporters shortly after the crashes that contaminated fuel ‘may be to blame’.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed to CNN that a salvage vessel is already conducting recovery work but declined to reveal the exact crash location or the ship’s position. ‘USNS SALVOR (T-ARS 52), a Safeguard-class salvage ship operated by Military Sealift Command, is on-scene conducting operations in support of the recovery efforts,’ Cmdr Matthew Comer of the US 7th Fleet said.
Documents cited by CNN indicate that the Salvor can lift up to 300 tonnes from the seabed. Newer variants of the F/A-18 aboard the Nimitz weigh about 33 tonnes at maximum takeoff, while the MH-60 helicopter weighs around 11 tonnes.
Military analysts told CNN that even though the aircraft are not the Navy’s most advanced platforms, they could provide valuable intelligence if recovered by an adversary. Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said that obtaining the wreckage of an American jet would ‘provide valuable insights into its technological strengths and how to defeat it tactically’.
He added that no F/A-18 has ever fallen into Chinese hands, and said such access could help Beijing strengthen its carrier-based J-15T aircraft, which are considered less advanced. Schuster also noted that the MH-60 is equipped with anti-submarine warfare systems that China has struggled to match. ‘China is now prioritising the upgrading of its anti-submarine warfare systems. So, recovering that helicopter should enjoy a high priority,’ he said.
CNN has not been able to verify whether China is attempting to reach the crash sites. China maintains sweeping claims over the South China Sea, despite an international tribunal ruling rejecting those assertions.
The current operation resembles a 2022 effort during which an F-35 fighter jet was successfully recovered from a depth of 12,400 feet after crashing while attempting to land aboard the USS Carl Vinson, CNN reported.
China’s Foreign Ministry responded to the latest crashes by saying it could extend humanitarian assistance if required. At the same time, spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticised US operations in the region, saying the incidents occurred during what he described as ‘US military exercises’. He said, ‘The US has been flexing muscles by frequently sending military vessels and aircraft to the South China Sea. This is the root cause of security issues at sea and disruption to regional peace and stability.’
Schuster warned that China’s proximity to the crash zone could give it a ‘homefield advantage’, adding that Beijing might seek to impede US recovery efforts ‘if possible’. The US maintains a strong military presence in the region, saying China’s expansive territorial claims and growing military infrastructure threaten freedom of navigation through one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, CNN reported.
(ANI)