Two U.S. Navy Aircraft Crash; China Offers Aid

Two U.S. Navy aircraft — an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet — crashed into the South China Sea about 30 minutes apart while conducting routine flight operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said. Search-and-rescue teams recovered all five crew members (three from the helicopter and two from the jet), who were taken aboard the Nimitz and are reported in stable condition. The Navy has launched investigations into both incidents and has not released causes or indicated hostile engagement. China’s foreign ministry said the aircraft crashed during a military exercise and offered humanitarian assistance, and Chinese state media and some analysts suggested the mishaps could reflect strain on U.S. operational capacity. The incidents occurred as the Nimitz, on its final deployment after months in the Middle East, operated in the geopolitically contested South China Sea. Investigators will determine whether the crashes are linked to other carrier-based aviation mishaps earlier in the year.