According to China News Network, citing Fox News Network, two US carrier-based aircraft from the US aircraft carrier Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea on the 26th, and the aircraft carrier is currently turning around and returning to Washington State.
According to reports, the ship is the oldest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy. It departed from Bremerton in mid-March, which is likely to be its last deployment. After the mission, the Nimitz will sail to Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia to begin the decommissioning process.
The U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet announced that at around 2:45 pm local time on October 26, an MH-60R "Seahawk" helicopter belonging to the 73rd Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron took off from the aircraft carrier "Nimitz". It crashed into the South China Sea while performing a mission. All three crew members on board were rescued.
At 3:15 p.m. on the same day, an F/A-18F “Supergirl Bear” fighter aircraft, which belonged to the 22nd Fighter Attack Squadron, also crashed into the South China Sea while taking off from the Nimitz.
The U.S. military said the cause of the accident was being investigated, and the military has not yet released details such as weather, mechanical failure or training subjects.
On the 27th local time, U.S. President Trump responded to the crash while riding Air Force One to Tokyo, saying that the accident "may have been caused by inferior fuel" and ruled out man-made sabotage.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jianquan said on Thursday that if the United States proposes it, China is willing to provide necessary assistance to the United States from a humanitarian perspective.
Guo Jiakun emphasized that the relevant US military aircraft crashed during military exercises in the South China Sea. The frequent dispatch of warships and aircraft by the United States to the South China Sea to show off its force is the root cause of maritime security problems and undermining regional peace and stability.
Analysts pointed out that the United States crashed a ship-carrying fighter aircraft and a helicopter in the South China Sea within a day, this is not a coincidence.The U.S. military has longined high-intensity combat readiness in the South China Sea, Asia Pacific and globally, long-term high-pressure operation has caused U.S. troops to be tense, people tired, and the risk of accidents naturally increased.
Currently, more and more maintenance work accumulated by the U.S. shipbuilding industry has led to a huge discount on the number of ships available to the U.S. Navy.
Experts believe that the current U.S. Navy still has a stock advantage in scale, especially the number of aircraft carriers, Aegis destroyers, amphibious combat ships and nuclear submarines is still unique in the world. However, the uncontrolled use by the Pentagon is causing the U.S. Navy to get into trouble. Successive accidents in recent years reflect this deteriorating trend.
Source: General Manager of WeChat Public
Reporter: Tan Qing