RAF F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Crashes During Operation In Mediterranean Sea, UK Launches Investigation

British RAF F-35 fighter jets take off from HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08). (Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan T. Beard)

JAKARTA - A British Air Force (RAF) pilot managed to eject and survive when his F-35 stealth fighter jet flying from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) crashed into the sea, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The pilots were later evacuated, but the £100 million stealth fighter jet crashed into the sea in the incident which occurred at 10 am UK time. No other ships or aircraft were involved, defense sources said.

18, the crash occurred shortly after the F-35 fighter jets took off, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said, but regardless of the incident, other operational and training flights involving the jets remain operational for now.

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: "A British F-35 pilot from HMS Queen Elizabeth was ejected during routine flight operations over the Mediterranean this morning. The pilot has been safely evacuated to the ship and an investigation has begun, so it is inappropriate to comment further at this time. "

The immediate priority is the recovery of the wreckage, with Britain wanting to ensure the missing plane doesn't end up in the hands of an enemy nation like Russia.

Fighter jets from HMS Queen Elizabeth previously participated in attacks against remnants of the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

The accident will be investigated by the Defense Accident Investigation Branch, which usually takes several weeks before producing a preliminary report. The final report usually takes about a year to complete.

To note, HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) will return to the UK after a long journey that has taken her through the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and back. Eight UK F-35Bs and 10 US F-35Bs were deployed before Wednesday.

The UK agreed to buy 48 F-35Bs from US military firm Lockheed Martin, at a cost of £6 billion by 2025. Of that number, 24 have already been delivered.

This is the first crash involving an RAF F-35B, although there have been several previous crashes involving fighter jets in the last three years.

The most similar crash occurred in September 2018, involving an F-35B, when the pilot, a US Marine, had to eject in South Carolina. Damage to the engine tube is said to be the cause of the incident.

A British F35 pilot from HMS Queen Elizabeth ejected during routine flying operations in the Mediterranean this morning.

The pilot has been safely returned to the ship and an investigation has begun, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) November 17, 2021