The US Navy used a Chinese-built ship to haul a crashed F-35 stealth jet out of the South China Sea

[beijingwalker]

The US Navy used a Chinese-built ship to haul a crashed F-35 stealth jet out of the South China Sea​

Published: 7:24pm, 7 Mar, 2022

US sailors transport equipment onto the US Navy-contracted diving support vessel (DSCV) Picasso to support recovery of the F-35C that crashed in the South China Sea, January 24, 2022. US Navy/MCS1 Billy Ho

• The US Navy brought a crashed F-35 to the surface using a specialist vessel constructed by a Chinese state firm.
• The use of the maritime technology shows the need for US-China cooperation, one analyst says.

A Chinese-made ship was at the centre of the US Navy's salvage operation last week to recover the wreck of an F-35C fighter jet from the South China Sea, according to Chinese media.

Personnel pulled the wreckage of the fighter jet from 3,780 metres (12,400 feet) below the surface on Wednesday using lift lines from the crane of the diving support construction vessel (DSCV) Picasso, the US Seventh Fleet said last week.

The Picasso, owned and run by Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS), a Singapore-based deep diving heavy construction vessel operator, was built by China Merchants Heavy Industries, one of China's top three state-owned shipbuilders. The DSCVs are a type of specialised vessel for deep water salvage, installation, inspection and repair.

The Picasso is one of the most advanced in service and is equipped with an advanced remotely operated vehicle known as the Curv-21, which can dive to more than 3,000 metres.

In last week's salvage operation for the F-35C Lightning II, the Curv-21 attached special rigging and lift lines to the aircraft. Then the crane's lifting hook was lowered to the sea floor and connected to the rigging, and the aircraft was hoisted to the surface aboard the Picasso, according to the Seventh Fleet.

Wreckage of a sunken F-35 is recovered from the South China Sea. US Navy

Chinese-made DSCVs have been used before to recover jets from the sea floor. In 2019, an F-35A from the Japan Air Self-Defence Force crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and the Van Gogh, another DSCV from the Singaporean company, was involved in the salvage operation.

State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times reported on Friday that the Van Gogh was also made by CMHI and one of five Chinese-made vessels operated by UDS.

Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said China was a leader in shipbuilding, particularly in specialist vessels, and it was no surprise that ships made in the country were involved in the operation. "This shows the need for cooperation between the US and China," he said.

The F-35C went down in the South China Sea on January 24 after a "landing mishap" during routine flight operations on the USS Carl Vinson. Seven sailors were injured in the incident but the pilot ejected to safety and was rescued by helicopter.

The wreckage was located in a northern portion of the South China Sea, roughly 300 km (185 miles) west of the Philippines and 565 km east of Woody Island in the Paracels, one of China's major military bases in the disputed waters.

The sensitive location of the crash raised speculation that the Chinese military could try to recover the wreckage.

The Seventh Fleet began the salvage operation several days after the crash and said the effort showed the US Navy's commitment to its assets, and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The US Navy used a Chinese-built ship to haul a crashed F-35 stealth jet out of the South China Sea

The Picasso, one of the most advanced diving support construction vessels in service, was built by one of China's top three state-owned shipbuilders.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[beijingwalker]

Without made in China, F-35 will sit at the bottom of the South China Sea forever.

 

[Nan Yang]

The China-built ship that pulled a US Navy F-35C fighter jet wreck from the South China Sea​

The crashed stealth plane was brought to the surface using a specialist vessel constructed by a Chinese state firm
The use of the maritime technology shows the need for US-China cooperation, analyst says

Published: 7:24pm, 7 Mar, 2022

The Chinese-built, Singaporean-owned Picasso was used to retrieve the jet wreckage from the bottom of the South China Sea. Photo: Handout

A Chinese-made ship was at the centre of the US Navy’s salvage operation last week to recover the wreck of an F-35C fighter jet from the South China Sea, according to Chinese media.

Personnel pulled the wreckage of the fighter jet from 3,780 metres (12,400 feet) below the surface on Wednesday using lift lines from the crane of the diving support construction vessel (DSCV) Picasso, the US Seventh Fleet said last week.

The Picasso, owned and run by Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS), a Singapore-based deep diving heavy construction vessel operator, was built by China Merchants Heavy Industries, one of China’s top three state-owned shipbuilders.

The DSCVs are a type of specialised vessel for deep water salvage, installation, inspection and repair.

The Picasso is one of the most advanced in service and is equipped with an advanced remotely operated vehicle known as the Curv-21, which can dive to more than 3,000 metres.

In last week’s salvage operation for the F-35C Lightning II, the Curv-21 attached special rigging and lift lines to the aircraft.

Then the crane’s lifting hook was lowered to the sea floor and connected to the rigging, and the aircraft was hoisted to the surface aboard the Picasso, according to the Seventh Fleet.

Chinese-made DSCVs have been used before to recover jets from the sea floor. In 2019, an F-35A from the Japan Air Self-Defence Force crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and the Van Gogh, another DSCV from the Singaporean company, was involved in the salvage operation.

State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times reported on Friday that the Van Gogh was also made by CMHI and one of five Chinese-made vessels operated by UDS.

Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said China was a leader in shipbuilding, particularly in specialist vessels, and it was no surprise that ships made in the country were involved in the operation.

“This shows the need for cooperation between the US and China,” he said.

The F-35C went down in the South China Sea on January 24 after a “landing mishap” during routine flight operations on the USS Carl Vinson.

Seven sailors were injured in the incident but the pilot ejected to safety and was rescued by helicopter.

The wreckage was located in a northern portion of the South China Sea, roughly 300km (185 miles) west of the Philippines and 565km east of Woody Island in the Paracels, one of China’s major military bases in the disputed waters.

The sensitive location of the crash raised speculation that the Chinese military could try to recover the wreckage.

The Seventh Fleet began the salvage operation several days after the crash and said the effort showed the US Navy’s commitment to its assets, and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The China-built ship that pulled a US Navy jet wreck from the South China Sea

The crashed stealth plane was brought to the surface using a specialist vessel constructed by a Chinese state firm.

www.scmp.com

Wonder how much did UDS made pulling out the 2 F-35s. Must be at least 200million. I wonder how much did each diver get. What a bonus.

Dangerous job though. You could die.

 

[Oldman1]

Wonder how much did UDS made pulling out the 2 F-35s. Must be at least 200million. I wonder how much did each diver get. What a bonus.

Dangerous job though. You could die.

No diver is going down 10k feet to retrieve it. Its all remote control.

 

[beijingwalker]

The China-built ship that pulled a US Navy F-35C fighter jet wreck from the South China Sea

The crashed stealth plane was brought to the surface using a specialist vessel constructed by a Chinese state firm
The use of the maritime technology shows the need for US-China cooperation, analyst says

Published: 7:24pm, 7 Mar, 2022

8630499d-5f51-4c59-9ef4-bc0ef05d63dd_0d81ed41.jpg
The Chinese-built, Singaporean-owned Picasso was used to retrieve the jet wreckage from the bottom of the South China Sea. Photo: Handout

A Chinese-made ship was at the centre of the US Navy’s salvage operation last week to recover the wreck of an F-35C fighter jet from the South China Sea, according to Chinese media.

Personnel pulled the wreckage of the fighter jet from 3,780 metres (12,400 feet) below the surface on Wednesday using lift lines from the crane of the diving support construction vessel (DSCV) Picasso, the US Seventh Fleet said last week.

The Picasso, owned and run by Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS), a Singapore-based deep diving heavy construction vessel operator, was built by China Merchants Heavy Industries, one of China’s top three state-owned shipbuilders.

The DSCVs are a type of specialised vessel for deep water salvage, installation, inspection and repair.

The Picasso is one of the most advanced in service and is equipped with an advanced remotely operated vehicle known as the Curv-21, which can dive to more than 3,000 metres.

In last week’s salvage operation for the F-35C Lightning II, the Curv-21 attached special rigging and lift lines to the aircraft.

Then the crane’s lifting hook was lowered to the sea floor and connected to the rigging, and the aircraft was hoisted to the surface aboard the Picasso, according to the Seventh Fleet.

Chinese-made DSCVs have been used before to recover jets from the sea floor. In 2019, an F-35A from the Japan Air Self-Defence Force crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and the Van Gogh, another DSCV from the Singaporean company, was involved in the salvage operation.

State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times reported on Friday that the Van Gogh was also made by CMHI and one of five Chinese-made vessels operated by UDS.

Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said China was a leader in shipbuilding, particularly in specialist vessels, and it was no surprise that ships made in the country were involved in the operation.

“This shows the need for cooperation between the US and China,” he said.

The F-35C went down in the South China Sea on January 24 after a “landing mishap” during routine flight operations on the USS Carl Vinson.

Seven sailors were injured in the incident but the pilot ejected to safety and was rescued by helicopter.

The wreckage was located in a northern portion of the South China Sea, roughly 300km (185 miles) west of the Philippines and 565km east of Woody Island in the Paracels, one of China’s major military bases in the disputed waters.

The sensitive location of the crash raised speculation that the Chinese military could try to recover the wreckage.

The Seventh Fleet began the salvage operation several days after the crash and said the effort showed the US Navy’s commitment to its assets, and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The China-built ship that pulled a US Navy jet wreck from the South China Sea

The crashed stealth plane was brought to the surface using a specialist vessel constructed by a Chinese state firm.

www.scmp.com

 

[beijingwalker]

US Navy Uses ‘Chinese Expertise’ To Retrieve The Wreckage Of F-35C Stealth Fighter Jet From Contested Maritime Region​

BySakshi Tiwari

March 8, 2022

The US’ ‘top fighter’ F-35 stealth jet has suffered a series of unusual crashes, raising questions about America’s most advanced combat jet. In January this year, it was the first time that an F-35C, the carrier variant of the aircraft, crashed at the ‘enemy’s doorstep’ — into the South China Sea.

The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered from the bottom of the sea, about 12,400 feet below the surface, by a team made up of divers from the US Navy’s 7th Fleet Task Force and a Navy salvage and diving team, according to a press release.

The team used a remotely operated vehicle to retrieve the wreckage, which was finally pulled out by a crane attached to the Picasso ship. Chinese state media claimed the Picasso is a Chinese-built and Singaporean-operated ship, according to Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1499411910407737353

According to the report, the Picasso was built by China Merchants Heavy Industries, one of the top three state-owned shipbuilders, and is owned and operated by Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS), a Singapore-based deep-diving heavy construction vessel operator.

A US Navy F-35C had a “landing issue” on the deck of the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the South China Sea in January. The pilot ejected successfully, but seven US military men were reportedly injured in the incident reported on January 24. This was the third accident involving the F-35 in the past six months.

The US Navy salvages a crashed F-35C from the South China Sea (via Twitter)


However, this crash assumed significance for its location — the hotly contested South China Sea where the US Navy’s 7th fleet often carries out Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), much to China’s discomfiture. It is noteworthy that China claims almost the entire South China Sea and remains locked in territorial disputes with many ASEAN countries.

Did Chinese-Built Ship Retrieve US Jet?​

DSCVs (Diving Support Construction Vessel) are specialized vessels used for deep-sea salvage, installation, inspection, and repair. The Picasso is one of the most advanced DSCVs, having a Curv-21 remotely operated vehicle capable of diving to depths of over 3,000 meters.

The Curv-21 installed special rigging and lift lines to the F-35C Lightning II during its salvage mission last week.

According to the Seventh Fleet, the crane’s lifting hook was then lowered to the seafloor and attached to the rigging, and the aircraft was hauled to the surface, onboard the Picasso.

DSCVs built in China were previously used to recover aircraft from the seabed. The Van Gogh, another DSCV from the Singaporean corporation, was also involved in the salvage mission when an F-35A from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force fell into the Pacific Ocean in 2019.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1121496232575193089

According to the state-run Chinese newspaper Global Times, the Van Gogh was also built by CMHI and is one of five Chinese-built vessels managed by UDS.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military analyst, said China is a world leader in shipbuilding, so it’s no surprise that Chinese ships were involved in the mission. “This shows the need for cooperation between the US and China,” he noted.

It is quite interesting that a Chinese vessel was used to retrieve a crashed fighter jet of the US military at a time when the two countries are at loggerheads in the Indo-Pacific region.

The wreckage was discovered in the northern South China Sea, around 300 kilometers (185 miles) west of the Philippines and 565 kilometers east of the disputed Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1485807566185963525

Given the crash’s critical location, there had been concern that the Chinese military may attempt to collect the wreckage. Previously, in November last year, a British Royal Air Force F-35B had crashed from the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier into the Mediterranean Sea. At the time, the West was concerned about a possible Russian theft of the F-35 stealth technology.

The salvage operation for the F-35C began several days after the collision, and the 7th Fleet said it demonstrated the US Navy’s dedication to its assets as well as a free and open Indo-Pacific.

DSCV Picasso​

PICASSO is an advanced DSCV designed and built for deep water deployment worldwide, according to Ultra Deep Solutions.

The vessel is equipped with 140t offshore cranes, diesel-electric frequency controlled propulsion, extremely efficient azimuth thrusters, a dynamic positioning system, and a diesel-electric frequency controlled propulsion (3,000m water depth).

Picasso DSV- file image
A huge platform deck with an area of 1,300 m2 is ideal for wellhead servicing, inspection and construction diving. The vessel can carry up to 130 people. It was mobilized to perform deep-dive trials off Hong Kong in January 2018.

The Chinese state media projecting a vessel manufactured in its country as the centerpiece of the US salvage operation could be indicative of its willingness to engage with the US.

US Navy Uses 'Chinese Expertise' To Retrieve The Wreckage Of F-35C Stealth Fighter Jet From Contested Maritime Region

The US’ ‘top fighter’ F-35 stealth jet has suffered a series of unusual crashes, raising questions about America’s most advanced combat jet. In January this year, it was the first time that an F-35C, the carrier variant of the aircraft, crashed at the ‘enemy’s doorstep’ — into the South China...

eurasiantimes.com

 

[gambit]

And the US used Soviet titanium to build the SR-71.

 

[beijingwalker]

Chinese salvage ships and F-35 can form a long term crash and salvation partnership for future cooperations.