F-35C: What is China's interest in the race to rescue an American fighter jet that crashed in the South China Sea?
These days, the Chinese and US Navy are part of a unique race to reach the first F-35C fighter jet that crashed into the sea.
The 100 million$ F-35C crashed in the South China Sea while taking off from the USS Carl Vinson, a US aircraft carrier.
This fighter jet is a state-of-the-art US Navy aircraft and is equipped with secret equipment, which obviously the United States does not want to fall into the hands of anyone else, but because the plane crashed in international waters, it is technically a race to get it. According to the rules.
Whoever reaches it first, will win and what will be the reward for winning? Access to the secrets hidden in this extremely expensive and sophisticated fighter jet.
Last Monday, seven people were injured when the plane crash-landed on Carl Vinson, a U.S. aircraft carrier, during a combat exercise.
It is currently located in the depths of the South China Sea, but how to get it out is still a mystery.
The U.S. Navy has not yet confirmed where the plane landed and how long it will take to get it out.
China claims control of the entire South China Sea and has taken a number of steps over the years to assert its monopoly power.
China has refused to accept a ruling by an international tribunal in 2016 stating that China has no legal right to the South China Sea.
National security experts say the Chinese military will make "every effort" to reach the plane, while a US rescue ship will take 10 days to reach the crash site.
Defense analyst Abby Austin says it will be too late because the battery of the black box installed in the plane will run out before then and thus it will be difficult for him to reach the plane.
"It's very important that the United States successfully get this aircraft out of the sea," she said. The F35 is actually like a flying computer. It also allows you to link to other devices called "linking sensors and shooters" in Air Force terms.
She says China does not have the technology, so if it does, it will be very useful to them.
"If they (China) manage to gain access to the F35's networking capabilities, then the philosophy of aircraft carriers could be severely damaged," she said.
Asked if he could hear the Cold War echoes from the incident, he said: "It all depends on who is more powerful. The story is exactly like the movie The Hunt for Red Cross October and The Abs. It's like a three-part drama. "
Why is the F35C so special?
- The aircraft has a network-driven mission system, which allows the information collected during the flight to be shared at the same time.
- The US Navy's first 'less observable' carrier-based aircraft that enables it to operate in enemy airspace without warning.
- The aircraft's large and powerful landing gear enables it to fly faster and faster than the navy.
- The aircraft has the world's most powerful fighter engine and can hit at speeds of up to 1,200 miles per hour.
- It is capable of carrying two missiles and four missiles.
Abby Austin, a former adviser to the US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former senior diplomat to NATO and the European Union, said he believed China's attempt to claim rights to the ship would "test" the United States. Is an attempt.
Bryce Barros, a Chinese affairs analyst at the Truman Project, says there is no doubt that China wants to acquire the aircraft, although cyber espionage could mean that they already know something about its internal structure and function.
"I think they would like to see the original parts of the aircraft so that they can better understand how it was built and what its weaknesses are.
The U.S. Navy acknowledged in a statement that arrangements were being made to evacuate the F-35C that crashed on the USS Carl Vinson.