The US Navy has launched an investigation after two aircraft operating from the USS Nimitz — an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet — crashed during separate “routine operations” over the South China Sea on Sunday.
According to the US Pacific Fleet, all five crew members involved in the incidents were rescued and are in stable condition. The Pacific Fleet, the Navy’s largest operational command, said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that the Sea Hawk from the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 went down around 2:45 p.m. local time while conducting flight operations from the Nimitz.
Roughly 30 minutes later, the Super Hornet also crashed while operating in the same region. Both incidents occurred in international waters of the South China Sea, one of the world’s most contested maritime zones.
The Navy confirmed that all service members were “safe and accounted for.” The causes of both crashes remain under investigation, with officials yet to comment on weather conditions, mechanical issues, or the specific nature of the missions underway.
The twin incidents coincided with US President Donald Trump’s visit to Asia, where he spent Sunday night in Malaysia — bordering the southern edge of the South China Sea — before departing for Japan on Monday.
The crashes come amid renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing, though US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Sunday that a framework trade agreement had been reached with China, signaling a temporary easing of hostilities.
Still, the back-to-back accidents in one of the world’s most strategically vital waterways highlight the persistent risks and geopolitical friction that continue to define military operations in the region.
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