Two US Navy aircrafts, a Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, crash for South China Sea during separate routine operations. The incidents happen on Sunday, and all five crew members dem dey safe and stable. The Navy don launch investigation into wetin cause the crashes.
Wetin We Know So Far?
The US Pacific Fleet talk say around 2:54 p.m. local time, the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter wey belong to the "Battle Cats" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73, crash for inside the South China Sea. E dey conduct routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) when the thing happen.
Search-and-rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11, wey dey work with the Nimitz, quickly start rescue work and pull all three helicopter crew members from the water. Officials talk say dem carry the personnel go back to the carrier for medical check-up and dem confirm say dem dey stable.
Fighter Jet Palava
Like 30 minutes after the helicopter incident, one F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Nimitz, wey belong to the "Fighting Redcocks" of Strike Fighter Squadron 22, still crash for inside the South China Sea during flight operations. Search-and-rescue teams respond sharp sharp, and dem rescue the jet’s two crew members, wey don eject before the aircraft hit the water. Dem carry both aviators go back to the Nimitz and dem talk say dem dey stable.
- All five service members wey dey involved for the crashes dey safe and accounted for.
- The cause of both incidents dey under investigation.
- The USS Nimitz dey on the return leg of its final deployment before the ship go back to the West Coast.
The South China Sea na very important waterway, and China and some Southeast Asian countries dey claim parts of am. China dey claim almost all of the strategic waterway, even against international court ruling. These incidents happen amidst these ongoing tensions for the region.