A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Tremendous Hornet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the plane provider USS Nimitz (CVN-68) crashed in separate incidents within the South China Sea on October 26, the U.S. Pacific Fleet stated.
All 5 crew members have been rescued safely and are reported to be in secure situation.
In response to the assertion, the primary incident occurred at roughly 2:45 p.m. native time when an MH-60R Sea Hawk from the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 went down throughout routine operations. “Search and rescue property assigned to Service Strike Group 11 safely recovered all three crew members,” the fleet stated. The helicopter had been working from Nimitz on the time.
Roughly half-hour later, at 3:15 p.m., an F/A-18F Tremendous Hornet from the “Combating Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 additionally crashed within the South China Sea whereas conducting flight operations from the provider. “Each crew members efficiently ejected and have been additionally safely recovered by search and rescue property assigned to Service Strike Group 11,” the assertion continued.
The Navy stated all personnel concerned are protected and in secure situation. “The reason for each incidents is presently below investigation,” the Pacific Fleet stated, including that restoration and security groups from the provider group responded instantly after every crash.
USS Nimitz, one of many Navy’s oldest operational carriers, is presently deployed within the Indo-Pacific area as a part of Service Strike Group 11. The group had entered the South China Sea on October 17 after spending a lot of the yr working within the Center East and western Pacific.
The incidents occurred throughout what the Navy described as “routine operations” in worldwide waters. No extra injury or accidents have been reported, and U.S. Pacific Fleet stated additional info might be launched because the investigation continues.
The united statesNimitz
The USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a nuclear-powered plane provider and the lead ship of the Nimitz-class, commissioned into the USA Navy in 1975. It displaces roughly 100,000 tonnes totally loaded and measures 1,092 ft (333 metres) in size with a beam of 252 ft (76.8 metres) on the flight deck.
The ship is powered by two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors driving 4 shafts, producing a most pace of over 30 knots. Its crew complement, together with ship’s firm and air wing personnel, usually exceeds 5,000. The Nimitz is supplied with defensive techniques such because the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, and Phalanx CIWS mounts for close-in defence.
The F/A-18F Tremendous Hornet is a twin-seat, carrier-capable multirole fighter plane developed by Boeing for the U.S. Navy. It’s an enlarged and modernised by-product of the sooner F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18F measures 60.3 ft (18.5 metres) in size with a wingspan of 44.9 ft (13.7 metres) and has an empty weight of round 32,000 kilos (14,500 kilograms).
Powered by two Basic Electrical F414-GE-400 turbofan engines producing as much as 44,000 kilos of thrust mixed, the plane achieves speeds of Mach 1.8 and a fight radius of roughly 390 nautical miles. It might carry quite a lot of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance, together with AIM-9, AIM-120, AGM-65, AGM-88, and guided bombs.
The MH-60R Seahawk is a shipborne, multi-mission helicopter developed by Sikorsky Plane as a part of the U.S. Navy’s helicopter improve programme. It’s designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and maritime surveillance. The MH-60R is powered by two Basic Electrical T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines, every producing 1,900 shaft horsepower.
The plane has a most pace of 180 knots, a variety of roughly 245 nautical miles, and a service ceiling of 12,000 ft. Its sensor suite consists of the AN/AQS-22 airborne low-frequency sonar, AN/APS-153 multi-mode radar, and AN/ALQ-210 digital help measures system.