The disappearance of the single-engine stealth fighter, an F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, prompted a massive search-and-recovery operation.
The mission was a high-stakes race to save a Pentagon crown jewel from the frigid depths, with their crushing pressure and frigid temperatures.
On January 24, the fighter attempted to land on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
The pilot ejected and was taken to Manila for medical treatment, along with two deck crew members.
The plane crashed quickly, its engine thrust suffocated by seawater.
The F-35C is a cutting-edge aircraft with systems and components in which US taxpayers have invested $76 billion.
The crashed F-35C sat at the bottom of the sea for about five tense weeks before the US. The Navy was able to locate and recover the aircraft.