Hawaii [US], October 27, 2025: A US Navy helicopter and a fighter jet crashed in separate incidents over the South China Sea on Sunday, raising regional security concerns. The US Navy’s Pacific Fleet confirmed that all crew members from both aircraft were rescued safely and are in stable condition.
According to the Navy’s statement, the incidents occurred during routine operations. At around 2:45 p.m. local time, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 went down while operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Search and rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11 quickly retrieved all three crew members.
Roughly 30 minutes later, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet from the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also crashed into the sea during flight operations from the same carrier. Both pilots successfully ejected and were rescued by naval recovery teams.
The US Navy stated that investigations are underway to determine the cause of both accidents.
The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most contested maritime regions, with overlapping claims from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Beijing continues to assert control over most of the area, despite international court rulings rejecting its claims.
Over the past two decades, China has strengthened its presence in the region by building military bases on artificial islands, drawing pushback from Washington. The US frequently conducts freedom-of-navigation operations in the area to counter Beijing’s territorial expansion.
The crashes occurred amid President Donald Trump’s diplomatic visit to Asia, where he is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this week for trade discussions. The two nations have recently faced renewed tensions following trade disputes but are reportedly nearing a framework agreement to ease hostilities.
The Navy has experienced similar incidents in recent months, including the loss of two Super Hornet jets in the Red Sea earlier this year. Each F/A-18 fighter costs over USD 60 million. The USS Nimitz, one of the largest and oldest US aircraft carriers, is slated for decommissioning next year.
