BEIJING, China — The U.S. Navy says it has recovered an F-35C Lightning II aircraft that crashed while attempting to land on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea in January, injuring seven sailors.
The 7th Fleet said a robot submarine attached lines to the long-range joint strike stealth fighter, which was then raised from a depth of 12,400 feet Wednesday using a ship's crane.
The recovery alleviates concerns that China or Russia might reach it first and gain access to the advanced technology on board.
The multimillion-dollar aircraft was conducting “routine flight operations" from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson when it crashed on Jan. 24. Leaked footage showed it coming in too low for a landing.