Latest news with #MH-60SSeahawk
Business Insider
07-05-2025
- General
- Business Insider
A US Navy aircraft carrier in the Red Sea fight just lost a third Super Hornet. The $60 million jet went overboard on landing.
Another F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet fell off the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and into the Red Sea on Tuesday, a US defense official confirmed to Business Insider. It's the second fighter jet lost from the Truman in a little over a week, and the third of the carrier's deployment. Super Hornets are estimated to cost roughly $60 million apiece. The F/A-18F was landing on the flight deck of the Truman on Tuesday when the arrestment failed, causing the fighter jet to go overboard, the official said. Both the aviators safely ejected and were rescued by an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter. Navy aircraft carriers have catapults for launch and arresting gear for recovery. The thick cables help aircraft quickly decelerate on landing. It's unclear what exactly failed during Tuesday's recovery. "The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries," the official told BI, adding that "no flight deck personnel were injured." CNN first reported on the incident, which was the latest in a series of mishaps for Truman and its strike group. On April 28, an F/A-18E and a tow tractor fell off the Truman and into the Red Sea after a move crew lost control of the aircraft. A sailor who jumped from the cockpit just before the fighter jet went overboard was lightly hurt. In February, the Truman collided with a large commercial vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in the firing of the carrier's commanding officer. And in December, the missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the Truman's strike group, shot down a Super Hornet in what the US military described as "an apparent case of friendly fire." Both aviators ejected safely. The Truman has been deeply involved in combat operations against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. However, Tuesday's incident came as President Donald Trump said that the US would end a seven-week-long intensive bombing campaign against the rebels.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Marines save injured motorcyclist stranded in California desert
A group of U.S. Marines rescued a wounded civilian stranded without food and water in the middle of the California desert last month, according to a service release. While conducting a routine flight aboard a CH-53K King Stallion helicopter near Twentynine Palms, California, on Feb. 11, a crew of Marines assigned to the Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One, or VMX-1, spotted a green flag waving from a boulder below. 'At first, I wasn't sure what it was, but I asked the rest of the crew if they saw it,' said crew chief Sgt. Conrad Kerr. 'When they didn't, we decided to take another pass to confirm.' The crew spotted a stranded off-road motorcyclist and quickly realized a swift intervention was needed. They landed their helicopter 500 meters from the individual's location. 'We train for scenarios like this, and everyone in the crew knows their role to execute the rescue efficiently,' said pilot Maj. Dale Metcalf. Once landed, Kerr and Gunnery Sgt. Theodore Young, the lead crew chief, walked up the hillside toward the injured individual to assess the situation. 'He had been out there for almost two days, completely out of water and food,' said Young. 'When we reached him, he was conscious but clearly exhausted and in pain. He told us he had been hoping someone would see him before it was too late.' Airman uses military training to rescue skier during trip to the Alps The man had broken his leg after flipping his motorcycle on an incline and as a result, he was unable to move himself to safety. The Marines stabilized the man's injuries and called range control at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, but were told by their chain of command that there were no available search-and-rescue personnel to assist. So the Marines took matters into their own hands, loading him into their King Stallion and flying him to the Marines Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. The motorcyclist was transported to the Yuma Regional Medical Center, with the station's Yuma Fire Department assisting in the medical efforts. The man is expected to make a full recovery, according to the release. 'This mission reinforced the importance of vigilance and teamwork,' said co-pilot Capt. Ryan Hogan. 'From spotting the distress signal to executing the rescue, the entire crew worked seamlessly to bring this individual to safety.' The Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One is tasked with the 'operational testing and evaluation' of the King Stallion, the Corps' newest heavy-lift helicopter, according to the release. The King Stallion, first delivered to the Marine Corps in 2018, is capable of lifting 36,000 pounds and can move up to 27,000 pounds up to 110 nautical miles. In 2023, a King Stallion and its crew recovered a downed MH-60S Seahawk Navy helicopter in the Inyo National Forest, California.
