After two military aircraft crashed, the Nimitz aircraft carrier withdrew from the South China Sea, and the salvage operation was completed.

【2 aircraft crashes retrieved, "Nimitz" leaves the South China Sea and heads back】

It is reported that the "Nimitz" aircraft carrier accelerated northward starting from November 12, crossing the Mindoro Strait to the west and leaving the South China Sea. According to open-source intelligence tracking, the "Nimitz" strike group, after returning to the South China Sea at the end of October, mainly operated in waters about 200 to 240 kilometers east of the Nansha Islands and south of the Huangyan Island. During this process, the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard closely monitored the activities.

According to the report by Taiwan's "New Headshell" news, compared with previous deployment plans, this time the "Nimitz" was an accelerated withdrawal, mainly due to the fact that the carrier had crashed two military aircraft in the South China Sea in October this year, including one "Super Hornet." According to the preliminary investigation results from the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the recent aircraft crash in the South China Sea is suspected to be related to mechanical or fuel factors.

The "Nimitz" has been on a six-month mission in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region since its last deployment in March this year. This incident highlights the challenges of aging carriers under high-intensity operations.

Satellite imagery shows that the "Nimitz" aircraft carrier remained approximately 270 kilometers southeast of the Nansha Islands from November 8 to 11, accompanied by three warships. As the "Nimitz" aircraft carrier left the South China Sea, it is undoubtedly indicating that the recovery of the two crashed naval aircraft has been completed. According to the speculation of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Awareness Platform, the U.S. military may have completed the recovery operation in early November, mainly using specialized underwater robots and the Pathfinder-class survey ships to locate and recover the aircraft wreckage in waters thousands of meters deep, in order to prevent the leakage of U.S. military aircraft technology secrets.

Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1848667624972298/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.