Navy to salvage stealth F-35 that crashed on carrier landing in South China Sea

The Navy is making plans to salvage the F-35 that crashed into the Pacific while landing on an aircraft carrier.

The U.S. Navy has begun to make plans to recover the F-35C fighter jet that crashed Monday after striking the deck of an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea. The jet is the most advanced stealth fighter jet in the world and would have made an enticing target for China if it had attempted to recover it from the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

"The U.S. Navy is making recovery operations arrangements for the F-35C aircraft involved in the mishap aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the South China Sea Jan. 24.," said Brenda Way, a spokesperson for the Navy's Pacific Fleet.

An earlier Navy statement had said that as the F-35 was attempting to land on the aircraft carrier Monday, "It impacted the flight deck and subsequently fell to the water during routine flight operations."

Seven sailors, including the pilot who was able to eject safely, were injured in Monday's crash according to the Navy.