The U.S. Navy recovered the wreckage of an F-35 Lightning II jet fighter that crashed into the South China Sea in January. U.S. 7th Fleet’s Task Force 75 and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) recovered the aircraft from a depth of about 12,400 feet on March 2, according to a Wednesday announcement by the Navy.
The aircraft was recovered using a remotely operated vehicle that attached specialized rigging and lift lines to the aircraft. Another vessel then used a crane to lower a hook to the seafloor and connect it to that rigging, ultimately lifting the aircraft to the surface and hoisting it onboard.
