US Navy hauls up a stealth fighter jet from the bottom of the South China Sea

by · Boing Boing

Earlier this year, a US F-35C stealth fighter jet made a crash landing into the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier during a military exercise in the South China Sea. The pilot safely ejected but seven people on board the ship were injured. The jet sunk. (Above is a photo of the jet after the crash but before it sank.) Yesterday, the US Navy used an undersea robot to attach cables to the jet. A massive crane mounted on a diving support ship then pulled the jet 12,400 feet up to the ocean's surface and onto the boat.

"The recovery effort shows the US Navy's commitment to its assets, and a free and open Indo-Pacific," the military officials said in a statement.

I wonder if the insurance company will declare the jet a total loss.

The Navy F-35C on the deck of the DSCV Picasso after recovery. (US Navy)