US Navy Successfully Recovers F-18 Super Hornet That Was Blown Off Carrier in Mediterranean

The fighter jet was lost at sea on July 8, as it was blown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea following unexpectedly severe weather. A thorough inquiry of the events leading up to the loss of the plane was launched immediately.

The USS Harry S. Truman's F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 1, was safely recovered by the US Navy on August 3 from the bottom of the sea, the military announced on Monday.

According to the statement, an expedition from Task Force 68, the Harry S. Truman, Naval Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, and the US Sixth Fleet aboard the multipurpose construction vessel Everest were tasked with recovering the aircraft from a depth of roughly 2.9 kilometers.

"Inherent to Task Force 68 is our ability to adapt to any mission set - we can rapidly mobilize and deploy scalable command, control, and communications, in order to seamlessly integrate and provide forward command and control when and where needed," CTF 68 Commodore, Capt. Geoffrey Townsend is quoted in the press release as saying.

A remotely operated vehicle was used to rescue the aircraft by fastening specialized rigging and lift lines to it. The airplane was raised to the surface and hoisted onto Everest using a lifting hook that was fastened to the jet.

"The rapid response of the combined team, including Naval Sea Systems Command's Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) and Phoenix International personnel, allowed us to conduct safe recovery operations within 27 days of the incident," Lt. Cmdr. Miguel Lewis, US Sixth Fleet salvage officer, said in a statement. "Our task-tailored team operated safely and efficiently to meet the timeline. The search and recovery took less than 24 hours, a true testament to the team's dedication and capability."

The military said that the delivery of the aircraft was made to a military facility nearby from where it will be transported to the US.

According to an earlier statement on the incident, no one went missing among the crew members of the ship. However, while carrying out operations in the unexpectedly severe weather, one sailor suffered minor injuries.

When the fighter blew away, Truman was replenishing at sea. The process was reportedly immediately stopped for safety reasons, but the military claimed the carrier and Carrier Air Wing were "full mission capable."