The operation, shrouded in secrecy, is understood to involve divers, miniature submarines and inflatable bags which may be used to lift the plane to the surface of the Mediterranean. Royal Navy servicemen are working with the Americans to recover the F-35B Lightning II from more than a mile below the surface. The technology onboard the US-designed aircraft, including top secret radar and sensors, is hugely sensitive as it allows the F-35 to fly ‘unseen’ in hostile territory at supersonic speeds. The crash triggered a scramble to recover the next-generation jet from the sea before it could be reached by foreign powers, particularly Russia. The incident is the first mishap for the RAF’s F-35B fleet and for the £3billion aircraft carrier which left the UK seven months ago. It is understood the UK is now working with the US on a mission to recover the wreckage which is believed to be more than a mile below the surface amid fears Russia would try to salvage what’s left of the plane to examine the tech onboard. ‘Warship steel is not that thick so, even despite the weight discrepancy between the two, I would want the compartments near the bow checked immediately… I would then want the hull dived on at the first opportunity, just to be sure.’ The video shows the jet slowly approach the end of the runway before it topples over and prompted concerns over whether the jet hit the aircraft carrier on the way down before it landed in the sea.Ĭommander Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy officer told Sky News: ‘Given how close the aircraft ditched to the bow, and the speed of the ship on launch, the likelihood of it hitting the bow of the ship (under the waterline) would be quite high. They said naval personnel realised the issue ‘almost right away’ because rules around removing covers and engine blanks before flights are ‘incredibly strict’. Sources told the Sun the RAF pilot realised the issue and tried to abort take-off but was unable to stop the plane before the end of the ship’s runway. Officials believe the rain cover was sucked into the F-35B Lightning II stealth plane’s engine as it took off from the flight deck of the UK’s flagship aircraft carrier.
The 65,000-ton ship is sailing back to Britain after her maiden voyage around the world. It recently emerged that Russia had been playing close attention to the Queen Elizabeth with a significant increase in aircraft activity nearby. It is a cutting-edge warplane with stealth and intelligence-gathering capabilities which can fly at supersonic speeds without being detected on radar. Overall, the UK has 24 F-35s and this was the first major incident involving any. It was one of eight British F-35s aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.
‘The crash is a sensitive matter – whoever is behind this has forgotten that… If that person is found they’ll be in deep trouble and will lose any security clearance they have.’ The film is of poor quality and not operationally sensitive, but its appearance on social media has dismayed Navy bosses.Ī source said: ‘What is someone doing recording that on their phone and putting it out there for everyone to speculate about? There’s a trust issue here. He was quickly recovered but the jet glided underwater to an estimated depth of more than a mile.
The pilot, who suffered minor injuries, ejected and his parachute can be seen floating down towards the water. Officials believe the rain cover was sucked into the F-35B Lightning II (pictured) stealth plane’s engine as it took off from the flight deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, forcing the pilot to eject