US fighter jet crashes on way to Korean peninsula

A US Navy F/A-18E fighter jet crashed while trying to land on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier en route to the Korean peninsula.

The location where the F/A-18E is believed to have crashed. Graphics: USNI.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) crashed in the Celebes Sea south of the Philippines on April 21. The plane crashed while preparing to land on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier. The pilot had to eject and was later rescued by helicopter, USNI reported.

The US Navy said the pilot was not injured. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The USS Carl Vinson, carrying Carrier Air Wing 2, is en route to the Korean peninsula to strengthen its presence in the region.

Rear Admiral Jim Kilby, commander of the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group, announced that the deployment will be extended by 30 days. This is believed to be to help US warships have a continuous presence near the Korean peninsula. The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier may participate in exercises with two destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

US and South Korean media said the USS Carl Vinson is expected to arrive in waters off the Korean Peninsula before April 25, the anniversary of North Korea's military founding. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated over Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. North Korea has vowed to launch a nuclear attack in response if the US launches a preemptive strike.

However, international security analysts say that the move to send an aircraft carrier is just a show of force, and it would be very difficult for Washington to launch a military attack on Pyongyang because of the huge consequences that such an action would cause.

According to VNE