- The U.S. Navy recovered an F/A‑18F Super Hornet and an MH‑60R Seahawk lost in two incidents within 30 minutes off USS Nimitz on Oct. 26.
- Both aircraft were lifted from a depth of about 400 feet amid urgency to prevent sensitive components from being accessed by China in the South China Sea region.
The U.S. Navy has recovered an F/A‑18F Super Hornet and an MH‑60R Seahawk from the seafloor after both aircraft were lost in separate mishaps off the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) on October 26, 2025.
According to the Navy, the two aircraft suffered accidents within a half‑hour of each other.
The recovery operation was completed on December 5, 2025, in the Indo-Pacific region and involved Commander, Task Force 73 (CTF 73); Task Force 75; Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV); and CTG 73.6’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit. Both aircraft were located and raised from approximately 400 feet using a contracted vessel equipped with a government‑owned, contractor‑operated unmanned lift system.
“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,” said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Andersen, the CTF 73 officer who led the salvage mission. “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.”
The Navy noted that all recovered components are being shipped to a U.S. military facility in the Indo-Pacific for detailed analysis. The causes of the incidents remain under investigation.
Beyond recovering high‑value aircraft, the mission carried heightened strategic urgency. The incidents occurred in the general vicinity of the South China Sea—one of the most contested maritime regions in the world. Given the area’s proximity to China, the operation required speed to ensure neither aircraft nor sensitive components could be located or accessed by Chinese forces.
The South China Sea is routinely monitored by Beijing, which maintains a large network of vessels, sensors, and military platforms across the region. Many of these assets are capable of mounting their own recovery attempts. For that reason, ensuring the aircraft were secured by U.S. forces was treated as a priority effort.
The Navy has not released additional information on the condition of the aircraft or the status of their systems at the time of recovery.