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Seven people injured after an F-35 fighter jet crashed with a US aircraft carrier in the South China Sea

The USS Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln are training in the South China Sea

Seven people injured after an F-35 fighter jet crashed with a US aircraft carrier in the South China Sea
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A pilot of a US F-35 fighter plane crashed on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier on Monday, injuring seven sailors. The incident occurred during a normal air mission in the South China Sea, according to the US Navy.

"An F-35C Lightning II, assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, had a landing mishap on deck while USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) was conducting routine flight operations in the South China Sea, Jan. 24, 2022. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and was recovered via US military helicopter," the US Pacific Fleet said in the statement.

According to the announcement, seven of the injured sailors were airlifted to Manila, Philippines, for treatment, and their conditions were described as stable. The other four were treated by on-board medical personnel, according to the US Navy.

The cause of the mishap and the fate of the plane were not disclosed. The incident is being investigated, according to the Pacific Fleet.

Following training with a Japanese naval ship in the Philippine Sea last week, the USS Vinson and another US carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, and their strike groups began drills in the South China Sea on Sunday.

The South China Sea is one of China's most sensitive territorial concerns, and it is a source of recurrent friction between the US and China.

The revelation of the US operations coincided with Taiwan's reporting of China's air force's latest major intrusion into its air defence identification zone - 39 aircraft - in a location near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the northern parts of the South China Sea.

Taiwan also reported an anti-submarine Y-8 in the Bashi Channel, which connects the Pacific and the South China Sea and separates Taiwan from the Philippines.

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