The U.S. Navy recovered an F-35 stealth fighter that had plunged into the South China Sea in late January, service officials announced Thursday.
The U.S. had been in a race against China to recover the jet that plunged into the sea after a Jan. 24 "landing mishap" aboard the USS Carl Vinson left seven military personnel injured.
The Navy announced that the stealth jet was raised Wednesday from a depth of 12,400 feet using a remotely operated diving vehicle and a crane from a diving support construction vessel known as Picasso, according to the 7th Fleet, which is based in Yokosuka, Japan.
"The task force's expertise in rapid, scalable command, control, and communications, agile logistics, organic security, and explosive ordnance disposal was the most flexible choice for the fleet commander to respond in a timely manner," said Capt. Gareth Healy, who commanded the task force.
"Ultimately, this deliberate approach resulted in the correct capabilities conducting recovery operations within 37 days of the incident. Given the unique challenges of this problem and the unique technical capabilities that [Naval Sea Systems Command] NAVSEA delivered, this was an aggressive and achievable timeline."
The Navy on Thursday released photos of the wrecked $103 million plane that showed the aircraft sitting on Picasso's deck wrapped in a protective covering after it was hoisted from the sea, Stars and Stripes reported.
The Navy said the aircraft will be delivered to a nearby military installation to aid in the ongoing investigation, and evaluated for potential transport to the United States.
The wreckage was recovered by a team from 7th Fleet task force CTF 75, and NAVSEA.
Officials were investigating the cause of the wreck, the Navy said.
A photo and video of a the F-35 stealth fighter crashing into the South China Sea surfaced on social media several days after the accident.
A 17-second video posted on Instagram showed the aircraft's final approach to the carrier. The very last second shows the jet hitting the flight deck or ramp with white smoke becoming visible before recording stops.
A photo showing an F-35 floating in the water appeared on Twitter. The jet's cockpit was open and the ejection seat was missing.
The crash left the pilot — who ejected — and six other sailors injured. The Carl Vinson has since returned to its homeport in San Diego, the Navy said.
At least five sailors have been charged with disobeying a lawful order or regulation for their roles in the leaked video, Stars and Stripes reported.