According to a statement released by the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, the incident occurred on Sunday while the helicopter and the fighter jet were conducting separate routine operations over the disputed waters.

President Donald Trump dramatically escalated a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean on Friday by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, a show of force that far exceeds any past counter-narcotics need and represents Washington’s most muscular move yet in the region.

The deployment and the quickening pace of U.S. strikes, including one Friday, raised new speculation about how far the Trump administration may go in operations it says are targeted at drug trafficking.

According to the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, the incidents took place on Sunday during separate routine operations over the disputed waters

A U.S. Navy helicopter and a fighter jet crashed in the South China Sea on Sunday, but all five crew members aboard the two aircraft<a class="excerpt-read-more" href=" More

The deployment comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a 10th strike against a suspected drug smuggling vessel.

China’s newest aircraft carrier may only be able to conduct air operations at about 60% the rate of a 50-year-old US Navy carrier, two former US carrier officers say, a substantial combat limitation for a vessel meant to revolutionize Beijing’s fleet.

President Donald Trump is going to Japan and South Korea next week to promote an epic financial windfall — at least $900 billion of investments into America.