US Navy Seahawk helicopter, Super Hornet fighter jet crash in separate incidents in the South China Sea

A US Navy helicopter and fighter jet have crashed into the South China Sea while conducting separate routine operations.

The Navy revealed on X that an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73, went down at around 2.45pm on Sunday (local time) while conducting operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

All three crew members were safely recovered by search and rescue teams.

Less than an hour later, at 3.15pm, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 also went down while conducting operations from Nimitz.

“Both crew members successfully ejected and were also safely recovered by search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11,” the Navy’s Pacific Fleet said.

“All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition,” they confirmed.

The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation.

The crashes comes a week after a Chinese fighter aircraft twice released flares “dangerously” close to an Australian military surveillance plane over the South China Sea.

“On two occasions, it released flares very close to the Australian P-8 aircraft, having reviewed the incident very carefully, we’ve deemed this to be both unsafe and unprofessional,” Defence Minister Richard Marles told reporters in Canberra last week.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who “very directly” raised his concerns over the Chinese fighter jet incident with Premier Li Qiang on Monday morning, has addressed the latest incident involving the US Navy.

“I have been briefed, and the positive news that I’ve received in my briefing, these are developing issues, is that the crews on both the helicopter and the aircraft are safe.”

“There hasn’t been a loss of life and that is very positive.

“Obviously, the US will undertake an investigation. It will be up to the US, obviously, to make statements about that.”

US President Donald Trump, who is currently on a five-day tour of Asia, is yet to comment on the crashes.

He is expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit for trade talks on Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said top Chinese and US economic officials have hashed out the framework of a deal for Mr Trump and Mr Xi.

He added that the agreement would remove the threat of the imposition of 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports starting on November 1 and include a “final deal” on the sale of TikTok in the US.

More to come...