Overview
- U.S. 7th Fleet confirmed USNS Salvor is on-scene conducting recovery operations, with no crash-site coordinates or retrievals disclosed.
- An F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Seahawk went down on October 26 within about 30 minutes during operations from USS Nimitz, and all crew members were rescued.
- U.S. experts warn the wrecks could yield valuable intelligence if obtained by China; Beijing offered humanitarian assistance but criticized U.S. military activity in the area.
- Navy documents note Salvor can execute lifts up to 300 tons and supports diving to roughly 190 feet, capacities sufficient for recovering both aircraft.
- The cause of the mishaps remains under investigation; President Trump floated contaminated fuel as a possibility, and officials have reported no evidence of a nefarious act.