US Navy wants to get crashed stealth fighter back -- before China can

Source: CNN

US Navy wants to get crashed stealth fighter back -- before China can

By Brad Lendon, CNN
Updated 1333 GMT (2133 HKT) January 26, 2022

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — The United States Navy is trying to retrieve its most advanced fighter jet from the depths of the South China Sea, an extremely complex operation that analysts say will be closely monitored by Beijing.

The F-35C, a single-engine stealth fighter and the newest jet in the US Navy fleet, crash-landed on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson during routine operations on Monday, the Navy said.

The $100 million warplane impacted the flight deck of the 100,000-ton aircraft carrier and then fell into the sea as its pilot ejected, Navy officials said. The pilot and six sailors aboard the Vinson were injured.

While damage to the Vinson was only superficial, and it and the carrier's air wing have resumed normal operations, the Navy faces the daunting task of attempting to pull the F-35 off the ocean floor in some of the most contested waters on the planet.

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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/25/asia/us-f-35-crash-recovery-south-china-sea-intl-hnk-ml/index.html