A U.S. Navy helicopter and a fighter jet crashed during separate routine operations in the South China Sea on Sunday and all crew members were rescued safely, the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet said.
The Navy has launched an investigation into the cause of both incidents.
The U.S. Navy said on social media on Sunday night that an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter belonging to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 crashed “while performing a routine mission aboard the USS Nimitz” at around 2:45 pm local time. The Navy said search and rescue crews rescued three crew members.
After the incident, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter belonging to the “Fighting Red Chicken” of the 22nd Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) also crashed while performing a routine operation on the Nimitz. The U.S. Navy said both crew members successfully ejected and were rescued safely.
Surrounded by China and several Southeast Asian countries, multiple governments claim sovereignty over parts of the vital South China Sea, but Beijing has ignored the International Court of Justice's ruling and claimed ownership of nearly all of the strategic waterway.
Over the past two decades, China has strengthened its territorial claims by building military installations at sea, directly challenging U.S. efforts to maintain free passage of international waterways. The U.S. naval operation is also part of Washington's broader strategy to counter Beijing's maritime expansion.
The plane crash comes as President Donald Trump is on a diplomatic trip to Asia and is expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week for talks that will focus on trade.
Relations between the two countries have soured in recent weeks after months of relative calm as both countries took sweeping measures against the other. The United States has reached a framework trade deal with China, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant said on Sunday, easing tensions ahead of a much-anticipated meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping.
The crash comes after the Navy lost two Super Hornet jets in the Red Sea this spring. According to the Navy, an F/A-18 fighter jet costs more than $60 million.
The USS Nimitz, one of the largest warships in the world and the oldest active aircraft carrier in the United States, will be decommissioned next year.