An F-35C Lightning II fighter jet crashed on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson in the South China Sea. The U.S. Navy said that at least seven sailors were injured during the "landing mishap."
U.S. Pacific Fleet command said the fighter jet pilot was able to safely eject from the aircraft before it crashed. Officials said the pilot was recovered from the waters using a U.S. military helicopter. The pilot is, reportedly, now in stable condition.
Three of the seven sailors that were seriously injured during the crash were airlifted to a medical facility in the Philippine capital city of Manila. Officials didn't say why the three had to be evacuated to a medical facility, but they confirmed that the sailors were "assessed as stable."
Four sailors who sustained minor injuries were treated on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Three were immediately released after receiving treatment.
Navy officials said they had launched an investigation to find out the cause of the crash. Officials did not say whether the F-35C jet was recoverable or if the USS Carl Vinson had sustained any serious damage.
In October last year, a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Connecticut, was involved in an incident in the Indo-Pacific region. Although none of the men were seriously injured, the incident resulted in the dismissal of the submarine captain.
According to the Naval Institute news website, the latest incident occurred as the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group were conducting a military exercise in the disputed South China Sea. Both are Nimitz-type nuclear-powered vessels carrying fleets of fighter aircraft.
A destroyer armed with guided missiles, the USS Benfold, also traveled in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands last week. The transit angered China, who alleged that the passage of the warship threatened its national security and the region's stability.
In the South China Sea, the U.S. has been conducting naval maneuvers and freedom of navigation operations in an effort to counter China's rising maritime activity in seas that Beijing claims nearly entirely.
U.S. officials said China's operations in the South China Sea, particularly its "historic claims" to the critical commerce route, gravely undermines the rule of law and universally-recognized international law principles. Neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and the Philippines have also made claims to portions of the South China Sea. However, China holds control over the waters with its dozens of military outposts.
