WASHINGTON, United States: The United States Navy said Thursday (Friday in Manila) it had recovered a stealth fighter jet that sank in the South China Sea after crashing off an aircraft carrier while trying to land. A major recovery operation was launched to find the plane — one of the most advanced in the US military — after it was lost in an area of rising tensions between the United States and China. Seven sailors were injured in the January 24 'landing mishap' on the USS Carl Vinson, but the pilot ejected to safety and was rescued by helicopter. The F-35C Lightning II was retrieved on Wednesday from a depth of 12,400 feet (3,780 meters) using a remotely operated vehicle that attached lift lines from a ship's crane.