In a rare sequence of mishaps, a U.S. Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the carrier USS Nimitz crashed separately into the South China Sea on Sunday, just half an hour apart.

All five crewmembers were rescued without major injuries, according to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. On Monday, President Donald Trump described the twin crashes as “very unusual,” citing possible fuel contamination, though investigations are ongoing.

Military officials have not ruled out maintenance lapses or operational strain as contributing factors. The Nimitz strike group has been underway for months following joint exercises near the Philippines and what the U.S. War Department calls “routine freedom of navigation” patrols.

Fuel contamination, if confirmed, would underscore vulnerabilities in logistics chains supporting long-range carrier operations far from home ports.

The incidents unfold amid renewed tension in the resource-rich South China Sea, where China reiterates its sovereignty and right to safeguard regional stability.

Yet they also revive a broader critique: why the U.S. continues to deploy carrier aviation deep inside sensitive waters, pursuing symbolic power projection that may outweigh prudence.