SINGAPORE — The US Navy has begun efforts to salvage a fighter jet and helicopter from the South China Sea, Breaking Defense has learned.
“The U.S. Navy has begun mobilizing units that will be used to verify the site and recover the F/A-18 and MH-60R aircraft lost off USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the South China Sea, Oct. 26,” US 7th Fleet Public Affairs Officer Commander Matthew Comer said today in an emailed response to questions from Breaking Defense.
Comer did not provide specifics, but a source told Breaking Defense that the Military Sealift Command’s Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ship USNS Salvor (T-ARS-52) will be part of the efforts.
The ship was last seen on ship tracking website Marinetraffic in the South China Sea heading in a roughly southwesterly direction on the evening of Nov 9 off the Philippine island of Palawan, having left the port of Subic Bay near the Filipino capital of Manila the day before, with its final destination listed as Guam.
The source said that the Salvor will head to Singapore to pick up equipment prior to carrying out the salvage operation. Singapore is home to the Navy Region Center Singapore (NRCS), which coordinates shore support activities for Department of the Navy and other DoD services in Singapore.
The MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter belonging to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 and F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter from the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 crashed within 30 minutes of each other on the afternoon of Oct 26 while conducting routine operations from the USS Nimitz.
All three crewmembers from the helicopter and both crew on board the fighter jet were successfully recovered, with both incidents currently under investigation by the Navy.