We all remember last month when we saw the terrifying footage of the Navy's F-35C crashing on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson before sliding into the South China Sea:
Now the Navy is announcing the recovery of this major piece of equipment with a major price tag:
The US Navy has said it has retrieved a stealth fighter jet from the depths of the South China Sea where it sank after a "mishap" in January.
A major operation was launched to recover the $100m (£74m) F-35C jet - the newest, most advanced in the US force.
The aircraft ended up in at the bottom of the South China Sea following a landing problem on the USS Carl Vinson.
Three cheers for the good ol' U.S. Navy for pulling a fighter jet off of the sea floor!
And look, this wasn't some sort of penny-ante operation. These guys yoinked this thing off the seabed from a depth of well over two miles:
The F-35C Lightning II was retrieved on Wednesday from a depth of 12,400 feet (3,780 metres) using a remotely operated vehicle that fastened rigging and lift lines to the aircraft. A hook was lowered from a diving support ship's crane to the sea floor, which was attached to the rigging. The jet was then lifted to the surface and hoisted aboard the vessel.
I guess $100 million is a pretty powerful motivator!
Especially when that piece of technology contains a bunch of military secrets and high-tech wizardry that the Chinese would LOVE to have for their invasion of Taiwan.
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