The American supercarrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) suffered a ‘landing mishap’ on Monday with an advanced 5th generation stealth F-35C jet fighter, and the expensive and classified plane fell into the South China Sea. Fortunately, the pilot of the F-35 ejected safely and was rescued by helicopter, but seven sailors were injured.
The Navy also reported that the ‘Impact to the flight deck was superficial and all equipment for flight operations is operational.’
Unfortunately, the $100 million carrier jet, packed with the latest technology and advances in radar-deflecting design is now at the bottom of the sea in highly contested waters illegally claimed by China.
A video shows the plane’s final approach but misses the impact which is still heard in background along with smoke being visible.
Someone has now leaked video of the accident for F-35C Lightning II of #USNavy's VFA-147 Argonauts a few days ago. Due to pilot's mistake, the aircraft landed early on USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Aircraft Carrier and slipped into sea with severed landing gears! https://t.co/UXPObZR8P3 pic.twitter.com/bZhf88Wq50
— Babak Taghvaee – Μπάπακ Τακβαίε – بابک تقوایی (@BabakTaghvaee) January 28, 2022
A photo then shows the jet in the water, cockpit open, before it sinks.
F35 crashed into the South China Sea. What could go wrong… 🤔 #f35 pic.twitter.com/L8NTRzPnvD
— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) January 28, 2022
Some fear that Chinese submarines could be first to reach wreckage. “China will try to locate and survey it thoroughly using submarines and one of its deep diving submersibles,” said Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center in Hawaii.
Chinese naval and coast guard vessels also maintain a constant presence in South China Sea waters.
“Salvaging the plane with commercial and coast guard assets will enable Beijing to claim it is recovering a potential environmental hazard or foreign military equipment from its territorial waters,” added Shuster, a former U.S. Navy Captain.
This is the second time in three months that an F-35 has been lost at sea. The first was British F-35 B Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (V/STOL) plane that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The wreckage of that plane was successfully recovered in early December during a secret operation with American help. The fear then was the Russian could get to the crashed hi-tech plane first.
Now the U.S. Navy is rushing recovery operations arrangements for its F-35C aircraft while the Chinese military may be rushing its own recovery operations. However, it could take U.S. search and recovery assets up to ten days to arrive.
Meanwhile, despite official Chinese government denials, the People’s Army Navy (PLAN) would be very keen to get its hands on this aircraft as it is steadily trying to build its own carrier aircraft capabilities, which are still behind the United States Navy.
The F-35C is the only stealth fighter in the world able to operate from aircraft carriers with catapults and arrestor cables and hooks.
‘We cannot speculate on what the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] intentions are on this matter,’ a spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet told DailyMail.com
However, this still leaves the U.S. Navy with a race to complete a complex salvage operation to keep its most sophisticated warplane, crammed with cutting edge technology, from falling into Communist Chinese hands.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AmericanActionNews.com
Oh great but let’s face it they more than likely have already stolen the plans when it was under development. We are so friggen dumb as a country. We started computers and have let Russia and China steal our technology like Clinton who gave the Chinese how to launch a missal, now their super sonic1
LISTEN UP…HOW CO ME there is NO SELF DESTRUCT MECHANISM on the AMERICAN JET???? BETTER to DESTROY Expensive EQUIPMENT thanit Getting into ENEMY HANDS.SAME THING should have been DONE in AFGHAN. From SamuraiQueen. 😄😄😄😇😇😇
I wish every Democrat politician had a “self destruct” button.
I wish terrorists would quit using theirs…..
Why don’t they just do like the WW2 and newer military airplanes and have a manual override so no matter what happens the landing gear will be deployed! Problem solved!!!
Ships running into each other, ships destroyed by fire, Subs running into mountains, now this. We need a reset or surrender. Worst military in the history of our great country. Have the new skirts for the Marines arrived yet?
A.K.A Obama’s butt brigade
U.S. authorities must be strong and vocal about this plane and tell everyone to stay away from it or they will suffer severe consequences.
TV show JAG had episode about sunken spyplane & No Korea & US in salvage mode
Way back in 90s or 2000s.
JAG is on H&I Channel Wed AM PM hours
Well I remember this great painting by Hieronymus Bosch (?): Ship of Fools. The sailors are preoccupied with having a good time and show little concern where the ship is actually headed. And WE as a nation are more concerned with getting cheap military parts, no matter who manufactures them, and with honoring the LGBTQ personnel in our ranks, than about where the Ship of State is going. I fear the US is headed for a catastrophic fall.
Biden probably planned this.
Too many politicians with ties to China in this present government.
All those with China ties need to be tried for treason and depending on their acts, be imprisoned or face capital punishment for treason.
Where’s Kamala? She’s good at scaring off adversaries with the term “SEVERE CONSEQUENCES”
if she hasn’t worn it out yet! She’s probably better known for sharing her “Cackling” with them because they will soon be “Cackling” at her!
Why not try and destroy plane with depth charges assuming you know where the plane is located. Better to destroy than let the physical plane be towed or taken to some Chinese miitary facikity!
I agree whole-heartedly. BTW, that should be “military facility” spelling champ. Have a sub torpedo the thing to smitherines. The heart of what makes that machine tick is the computer programming, which upon bathing in sea water should be wiped out anyways. Better yet, plant a self destruct on it, and let the Chinese take it, then blow it up. That will teach them a lesson.
You can’t win this when our BS so called president is handing over all our info! His own son sleeps with enemy spy… And sold our Cobalt mine to them honestly who voted this jerk in the office he is completely against the United States of America and now we’re turning communist… It’s a nightmare!!!
So does Mitch McConnell.
Pilot had heart attack from the jab. Another VAERS data point.
The U.S. better get on this double quick!!!
That jet is American property and we should use force, if necessary, to keep the Chinese away. Next time you go to Walmart or Costco look to see where the product is made. If in China think twice before you buy. Can you do without and help America.