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U.S. Navy Helicopter and Fighter Jet Crash in Separate Incidents in the South China Sea

Oct 26, 2025, 9:45 p.m. ET

A U.S. Navy helicopter and fighter jet went down Sunday during separate routine operations over the South China Sea, with all crew members safely rescued, the Navy’s Pacific Fleet said. Investigations into the causes of both incidents have been launched.

The Navy said a MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73, went down around 2:45 p.m. local time while operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. All three crew members were rescued by search-and-rescue teams.

Later, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter from the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also crashed while conducting routine operations from Nimitz. Both crew members ejected successfully and were safely recovered.

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