The U.S. Navy has successfully recovered an F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Seahawk from the seafloor following two separate mishaps that occurred within minutes of each other on October 26, 2025, while both aircraft were operating from the USS Nimitz (CVN 68). The complex undersea recovery mission was completed on December 5 in the Indo-Pacific region, concluding a high-priority operation shaped not only by safety and accountability concerns but also by the strategic sensitivities of the area.
According to official statements, the two aircraft were lost roughly half an hour apart during routine operations. While the Navy has not disclosed details of the incidents themselves—citing ongoing investigations—the loss of two frontline platforms in such a short time triggered an immediate, multi-agency salvage response. 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 led the effort, drawing on a broad mix of technical, operational, and logistical expertise.
Both aircraft were located at a depth of approximately 400 feet. Recovery teams used a contracted vessel outfitted with a government-owned, contractor-operated unmanned lift system designed specifically for deepwater retrieval of heavy and sensitive equipment. After securing the wreckage, divers and operators worked through challenging undersea conditions to bring the aircraft to the surface and transfer them safely to naval custody.
Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Andersen, the CTF 73 officer in charge of the recovery mission, emphasized the scale and coordination required for the operation. “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,” Andersen said. “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.”
Recovered components from both aircraft have since been transported to a U.S. military facility elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific for detailed inspection. Technical teams will examine the airframes, flight systems, and recovered avionics to aid in determining the causes of the mishaps and assessing any additional safety or operational implications.
While the Navy routinely conducts salvage operations following aviation or equipment losses at sea, this particular mission carried an especially sensitive strategic dimension. The incidents occurred in the general vicinity of the South China Sea, one of the most heavily contested maritime regions in the world and an area where multiple militaries—chief among them China’s—maintain constant undersea surveillance and presence.
The South China Sea is monitored by a dense Chinese network of naval vessels, maritime militia units, sonar arrays, and surveillance platforms. Several of these assets are believed capable of independent recovery attempts or intercept operations targeting downed equipment. Because both the F/A-18F and MH-60R carry classified systems, sensors, and mission equipment central to U.S. naval aviation, ensuring their rapid recovery was considered essential to prevent any possibility of third-party access.
to block Chinese access
For these reasons, the Navy treated the salvage as a time-critical operation, mobilizing units and specialized systems with unusual speed. Officials did not say whether any foreign vessels or aircraft were detected near the recovery site, nor did they comment on whether the operation was monitored by regional competitors. Still, the strategic undertones of the effort underscore the broader competition shaping military activity in the region.
The Navy has withheld further comment on the condition of the recovered aircraft or the state of their onboard systems at the time they were lifted. Investigations into the mishaps remain underway, and officials say additional information will be released once inquiries are complete.
For now, the recovery marks the successful conclusion of a technically demanding and geopolitically sensitive mission—one that demonstrates both the Navy’s underwater capabilities and the persistent strategic pressures defining operations in the Indo-Pacific.
