Two U.S. Navy aircraft went down within half an hour during routine operations from the USS Nimitz in the South China Sea on Sunday afternoon, officials said. An F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk were involved; all crew were rescued and are in stable condition. The causes are under investigation. The carrier has been operating in the region amid regular U.S. freedom-of-navigation missions in the busy waterway and heightened tensions, as Washington seeks to counter China’s expanding presence and Beijing asserts broad claims over the sea.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.