Submarine Showdown: US Navy Successfully Salvages Downed F/A-18 and MH-60R in South China Sea
High-Stakes Recovery Mission Completed to Prevent Sensitive Technology from Falling into Chinese Hands; Wreckage Retrieved from 400-Foot Depth
US Navy Completes Critical Salvage Operation
The U.S. Navy has successfully completed a complex and high-stakes recovery operation in the contested South China Sea, retrieving the wreckage of an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. Both aircraft, assigned to the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), crashed into the sea within half an hour of each other on October 26, 2025, while conducting routine operations. All five crew members were safely rescued in the immediate aftermath.
The U.S. Seventh Fleet confirmed that the wreckage was successfully lifted on December 5, 2025, from a depth of approximately 400 feet (122 meters). The operation, executed by specialized recovery units, including Commander, Task Force 73, and the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), used a contracted vessel equipped with a government-owned, contractor-operated unmanned system to carry out the delicate lift.
The Race Against Foreign Material Exploitation (FME)
The urgency and resources dedicated to the recovery mission underscore the intense strategic rivalry between the United States and China in the South China Sea. Defense analysts emphasized that the primary motivation for the swift salvage operation was to mitigate the risk of Foreign Material Exploitation (FME) by China. Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea and routinely shadows U.S. military assets operating in the international waters.
The recovered aircraft contained sensitive American military technology, including the F/A-18F’s advanced AN/APG-79(V)4 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and the MH-60R’s AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) system. Both components represent critical intelligence and technological data that China’s military-industrial complex would highly prize for enhancing its own carrier-based fighter jets and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities. The successful retrieval ensures the sensitive components remain in U.S. custody for analysis and disposal.
Geopolitical Tensions Underline Naval Presence
The crashes occurred during a crucial period of U.S. forward deployment in the Indo-Pacific, challenging Beijing’s expansive territorial claims in the strategic waterway. The U.S. Navy’s official statement highlighted that the operation was a true Navy team effort, showcasing naval integration and readiness.
All recovered components are now being transported to a designated U.S. military installation in the Indo-Pacific region for detailed analysis regarding the cause of the rare dual crash incidents, which remains under investigation. The operation, spanning over five weeks, serves as a clear indication that the U.S. will prioritize the protection of its military technology and maintain its robust operational presence in the South China Sea, regardless of the significant logistical and political challenges involved.