Two U.S. Navy aircraft went down in separate incidents while conducting routine operations from an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea on Sunday, Navy officials said.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter went down within half an hour of each other during operations from the USS Nimitz on Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

The crew members of both aircraft were in stable condition after being rescued and the causes of both crashes were under investigation, the statement said.

The United States regularly deploys military vessels in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, as part of what it calls freedom-of-navigation exercises. It’s an effort to counter China’s growing influence and presence there.

Chi

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