THE PENTAGON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Sunday he was "deeply concerned" after Chinese fighter jets sunk a U.S. Navy carrier in international waters earlier this week.

The USS George Washington (CVN-73), a Nimitz class nuclear powered aircraft carrier, began sending warning signals on Thursday after two Chinese Su-27 fighters began a series of screaming low altitude passes mere feet above the flight deck, sending sailors and airmen diving for cover.

The jets pulled numerous, highly dangerous maneuvers around the ship for approximately 20 minutes, before sending a volley of six Kh-31A anti-ship missiles into the carrier superstructure. Hagel said the death toll from the sinking stands at approximately 5,247 sailors dead, with 143 still unaccounted for.