US Navy recovers F/A-18E fighter from Mediterranean Sea

The USS Harry S. Truman’s F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft, belonging to Carrier Air Wing, blew overboard on July 8, 2022, as a result of unexpectedly severe weather in the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft was successfully recovered by the US Navy.

An expedition from Task Force (CTF) 68, the Harry S. Truman, Naval Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, and the U.S. Sixth Fleet aboard the multipurpose construction vessel (MPV) Everest was tasked with recovering the aircraft from a depth of roughly 9,500 feet.

A CURV-21 remotely operated vehicle was used to rescue the aircraft by fastening specialised rigging and lift lines to it. The aero plane was raised to the surface and hoisted onto Everest using a lifting hook that was fastened to the gear.

Within 27 days of the disaster, we were able to perform safe recovery operations thanks to the united team’s quick response, which included SUPSALV and Phoenix International personnel, according to salvage officer Lt. Cmdr. Miguel Lewis of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. “To reach the timeline, our task-specific crew worked effectively and safely. The fact that the search and retrieval took less than 24 hours is a real credit to the team’s commitment and competence.

The recovery attempts show off the U.S. Navy’s capacity to carry out international deep-water search and recovery operations. The delivery of the aircraft was made to a military facility nearby from where it will be flown to the United States.