Both aircraft were operating from the USS Nimitz|CC BY-NC 4.0
The US Navy lost an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet on Sunday. The two incidents took place 30 minutes apart during their routine operation in the South China Sea.
All crew members were safely rescued, and investigations are underway. President Donald Trump called the dual crashes “very unusual” and suggested a possible fuel issue.
The crashes occurred while Trump was on his Asia diplomacy tour, ahead of his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The South China Sea remains a highly contested global trade route where Beijing maintains dominance.
The Super Hornet is the fourth $60 million jet lost by the Navy this year. Both aircraft were operating from the USS Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier, which is set to retire next year.