The Royal Navy flagship has arrived home following the first operational deployment of the carrier strike group (CSG) which was dogged with incidents including the loss of a £100 million fighter jet at sea.

After a May visit from the Queen, HMS Queen Elizabeth (aircraft carrier) and seven warships, a submarine left Portsmouth Naval Base for her show-of-force journey to the Far East with seven warships.

The warship, which weighs 65,000 tonnes, arrived at Hampshire’s port Thursday afternoon. Type 45 destroyers HMS Defender & HMS Diamond were also back earlier that day. Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond returned to Plymouth. 

Crewmembers of the ship waved to passersby from its deck. They then hugged their loved ones after landing at land. These photos capture the emotions of sailors who greet their family members after months at sea.

The Queen sent a message to personnel and the captain, saying: “I am pleased to learn of your important efforts to establish relationships between the United Kingdom (UK) and over twenty countries during the seven month-long deployment.”

She expressed her sincere gratitude to the carriers strike group, and she wished them a’most enjoyable and relaxing Christmas.

Three weeks ago, one of the F-35B fighter planes that was part of their contingent crashed into the ocean and its pilot was forced to evacuate. The ship is now returning. 

Dramatic footage captured the moment that the jet rolled off HMS Queen Elizabeth’s runway and into the Mediterranean. This triggered a rush to retrieve the wreckage, before Russian or Chinese teams could get their hands on top-secret military technology. 

HMS Defender was the most significant incident in seven-month-long mission. It was part of the fleet which sailed with Queen Elizabeth. Russia furious that HMS Defender had sailed too close to Crimea. 

This led to an altercation with a Russian ship, which caused Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia to claim that he could have submerged the vessel and got away with it. 

HMS Diamond, the sister ship to HMS Diamond was affected by a mechanical problem with its engine in July. It had to be repaired and returned to CSG six months later.

The same month saw a Covid-19 epidemic on several ships of the CSG. This was despite the fact that all the crew had been double-vaccinated.

The Royal Navy flagship has arrived home following the first operational deployment of the carrier strike group (CSG) which was dogged with incidents including the loss of a £100 million fighter jet at sea. Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth with seven warships and a submarine set off from Portsmouth Naval Base following a visit by the Queen in May for its show-of-force voyage to the Far East

The Royal Navy flagship has arrived home following the first operational deployment of the carrier strike group (CSG) which was dogged with incidents including the loss of a £100 million fighter jet at sea. After a May visit from the Queen, HMS Queen Elizabeth (aircraft carrier) and seven warships along with a submarine left Portsmouth Naval Base to embark on the show-of-force journey to Far East.

The 65,000-tonne warship arrived back at the Hampshire port on Thursday afternoon while Type 45 destroyers HMS Defender and HMS Diamond returned earlier in the day, with Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond returning to Plymouth

On Thursday, the 65,000-tonne warship returned to the Hampshire port. Type 45 destroyers HMS Defender (and HMS Diamond) arrived earlier in the day. Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond also returned to Plymouth.

The ship's crew were pictured waving to onlookers from its deck, before they hugged relatives after arriving on land. The photos also captured the emotion of sailors as they greeted their loved ones after months away at sea

The crew of the ship was seen greeting onlookers on its deck before hugging their loved ones upon arriving at land. Also captured was the joy of sailors as their loved ones returned from months at sea.

HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Commanding Officer Captain Ian Feasey stated that the seven-month deployment had proven to be a strong carrier strike capability for UK Defence.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without 1 500 sailors, airmen, and marines, who worked tirelessly for all they were asked.

F-35 fiasco: How Britain’s £100m fighter jet crashed and why it matters 

Was the F-35 lost?

One of Britain’s £100million F-35 fighter jets crashed in the Mediterranean Sea last month. According to MoD officials, the aircraft crashed while carrying out routine flight operations in the vicinity. The plane was taking off from HMS Queen Elizabeth. Before the aircraft crashed, the pilot was able to get the plane out of the water.

Unidentified sailor released footage of the warplane colliding with the water after it took off. The 16 second clip, which was stolen from a smartphone by a sailor and posted on Twitter in a stunning security breach, is 16 seconds long. Although it’s not technically sensitive and of poor quality, the Navy chiefs were dismayed by its presence on social media.

Now, what?

It sparked a frenetic underwater race for the remains. It is believed that Britain worked alongside the Americans in order to retrieve the aircraft. It is believed that divers, mini-submarines, and inflatable bags were used in the operation to bring the aircraft to the Mediterranean surface.

Was there a crash?

There is no explanation for the cause of this crash. The jet crashed into the Mediterranean as it took off from the airport because its rain cover was inadequately removed.

Officials think the rain cover was trapped in the engine of the stealth aircraft as it took off at the HMS Queen Elizabeth flight deck.

Why were security officers so worried about the crash

For the government, it was embarrassing. It was Britain’s first F-35B loss and the worst for HMS Queen Elizabeth (Britain’s largest aircraft carrier).

The F-35B’s quality is being questioned. Britain has currently 24 of them. The UK is set to buy 138 of the jets from US aviation giant Lockheed Martin for £9.1billion in the coming years, with 48 of those expected to be delivered by 2025.

The technology aboard 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 – meaning it would be of interest to rivals such as Russian.

It’s possible, however that China has already gathered all the information it needs about this jet through its advanced spying.

Are we witnessing the F-35’s first ever crash?

This is not the 7th time that an F-35 crashed.

  • June 23, 2014 – A USAF F-35A had a catastrophic engine fire caused by a fractured rotor which saw it turn into a blaze as it took off in Florida;
  • October 27, 2016 – A US Marine Corp F-35B set alight mid-flight due to a fire in its weapons bay before the pilot landed safely in Beaufort, South Carolina;
  • October 28, 2018, – All operational F-35s were grounded while a probe was launched into why a fuel tube failed in flight after a horror crash at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina;
  • April 9, 2019, – Parts of the tail of a Japanese F-35 were found in the sea around 85 miles east of Misawa during a training mission;
  • April 19, 2020 – This F-35 crash on landing was caused by a tired, distracted pilot and unresponsive tail glitch;
  • September 20, 2020 – A F-35 stealth fighter jet fell out of the sky and exploded on the ground after hitting a KC-130J tanker in a mid-air collision near the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California.

“The safety return and operation successes of HMS Queen Elizabeth is a testament to their dedication and energy.

“They transformed a Royal Navy plane carrier into a national landmark and it was a privilege being their commanding officers.”

The sailors ate 25.5 tonnes sausages, 2.1 millions eggs and 190,000.00 potatoes during their seven-month absence. Angel Delight was 22,700 kg, 225,000kg, 1.2 Million bacons, 355,200 pints milk, and 22,700kg of Angel Delight. A total of 40 tonnes was also sent to the crew.

Commander Vince Owen was Defender’s Commanding Officer. He said that ‘our extraordinary success in this deployment is due to the outstanding men and women who make up my ship’s company. I am tremendously proud of their dedication and professionalism throughout.

“We are also dependent on the support from our families. I am so grateful that they are here to help us today, just in time to celebrate Christmas.

CSG ships, along with 3,700 sailors, faced many incidents during their 25,000-nautical mile trip. 

Although the pilot was safe after he ejected from F35, the aircraft’s state-of-the art fighter jet was lost at sea.

A member of the £3 billion carrier’s crew has been arrested on suspicion of leaking video footage of the incident.

These jets are controlled by the 617 “Dambusters” Squadron.

The Prince of Wales cancelled a visit scheduled for the next few days to the carrier due to the incident. 

Following the HMS Defender accident, the Kremlin claimed that Russian vessels fired warning shots at HMS Defender as the ship passed through the Black Sea. The assertion was dismissed by the UK Government who stated only that it was a routine exercise in ‘gunnery’.

Eyewitnesses swore that Defender was swarmed by Russian military aircrafts, and it could also be heard firing naval guns as it traveled from Odessa (Ukraine) to Georgia. 

In July, a sailor on the Type 23 frigate HMS Kent died. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of death.

Before arriving in Yokosuka after the voyage, the carrier participated in a joint exercise alongside warships from Japan and Canada.

Washington and Tokyo were working together to realize a “free and open Indo-Pacific” vision.

Though originally scheduled to arrive in port on December 10, the carrier was delayed due to weather concerns.

Because of the narrow entry to Portsmouth Harbour, Queen Elizabeth could not enter regularly during strong winds.

Investigators aren’t sure what caused F-35’s crash. However, they suspect that the raincovers protecting its engines during inactivity had been improperly removed.  

This meant the plane may have lost significant power due to the possibility that it had the cover sucked into its engine while it took off. 

It was believed that there were not just eight F-35s from Britain aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, but also 10 US-made aircraft. 

Before the F-35 crash, they had completed more than 2,000 take-offs or landings with no incidents. 

If not onboard the carrier’s aircraft, F-35Bs from the UK can be seen at RAF Marham in Norfolk with 617 Squadron (the Dambusters’).

Sir Stephen said to the Commons Defence Committee, “The pilot was safely recovered. He is currently undergoing medical tests. It is our hope that he will be fine. I would not be able to give any details about the cause of the accident.

“The flight data recorder, as well as the wreckage, are essential for any investigation into the cause of the crash. It is our goal to have the aircraft safely recovered as soon as possible. We are working closely together with other allies. The plane is still not up. 

New footage has emerged which appears to show the moment a £100m fighter jet crashes into the Mediterranean during an operation onboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth on November 17

Video appears to capture the moment the pilot ejects from the jet as it leaves the flight deck

Three weeks ago, one of the F-35B fighter planes from its fleet crashed into the ocean. The pilot of that aircraft had to be ejected. The moment that the F-35B fighter jet crashed into HMS Queen Elizabeth’s runway, before sinking into the Mediterranean was captured on dramatic video. This triggered a rush to retrieve the wreckage from the ground before the technology or Russian teams could access it.

The biggest flashpoint of the seven-month mission occurred in June, when HMS Defender - which was part of the fleet that sailed with the Queen Elizabeth - provoked fury from Russia by sailing through the Black Sea. It led to a standoff with a Russian vessel before the country's president Vladimir Putin to boasted that he could have sunk the vessel and gotten away with it. Above: HMS Defender is pictured in the sights of a Russian border vessel

 The biggest flashpoint of the seven-month mission occurred in June, when HMS Defender – which was part of the fleet that sailed with the Queen Elizabeth – provoked fury from Russia by sailing through the Black Sea. The standoff led to the Russian president Vladimir Putin boasting that he could sink the vessel and get away with his actions. Above: HMS Defender seen in front of a Russian border vessel 

An RAF pilot was forced to eject over the Mediterranean, sending his £100million stealth jet crashing into the sea

An RAF pilot was forced to eject over the Mediterranean, sending his £100million stealth jet crashing into the sea

“We know of Russian submarine capabilities and we are quite correct to recognize them as state-of-the art.

“The F-35 technology is as secure as possible, so we have taken the necessary precautions. These security issues are at the forefront of our minds.

“My understanding is, that experts know the exact location of the aircraft.” 

This was Britain’s first F-35B crash. It raised doubts about the aircraft’s quality. Britain only has 24 F-35Bs. 

In June 2014 a USAF F-35A had a catastrophic engine fire caused by a fractured rotor as it took off in Florida. 

The fire at its weapons bay caused a US Marine Corp F-35B to go up mid-flight, two years later.

In 2018, a US F-35B pilot was forced to eject in mid-air after his jet crashed during a training exercise in South Carolina.

An even more impressive achievement was last year. Officials from the US said that F-35B crashed into a KC-130J after it collided with a KC-130J..

The UK is set to buy 138 more from US aviation giant Lockheed Martin for £9.1billion in the coming years, with 48 of those expected to be delivered by 2025.

The technology aboard 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 – meaning it would be of interest to rivals such as Russian.

Sailors on board wave towards Plymouth's Round Tower as the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth returns to base following her deployment to the Far East

The Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier returns to Plymouth after being deployed to the Far East. Sailors aboard wave at Plymouth’s Round Tower.

Relatives and other onlookers are seen waving from the Round Tower as the ship arrives in port at Plymouth

As the ship docks at Plymouth, relatives and others look on as they wave from the Round Tower.

Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth returning to Portsmouth Naval Base at the end of her global seven month maiden operational deployment leading Carrier Strike Group 21

Photo of HMS Queen Elizabeth (Royal Navy) returning to Portsmouth Naval Base after her global 7 month-long operational deployment in Carrier Strike Group 21.

Friends and family celebrate an emotional homecoming as HMS Defender arrives back at Portsmouth Dockyard

Family and friends celebrate an emotional return to home as HMS Defender returns to Portsmouth Dockyard

The next generation: Twin girls are seen in mock Royal Navy uniforms as they are held tightly by a relative in Plymouth after HMS Queen Elizabeth's return

Next generation: Two twin girls in mock Royal Navy uniforms are held close by their relative in Plymouth, after HMS Queen Elizabeth returns

Flying the flag: A little boy is seen on his mother's shoulders as he holds two British flags aloft. Hundreds of families came to greet their relatives off the ship

Flag flying: Little boy seen standing behind his mother as he holds the two British flags in high relief. Many families gathered to welcome their loved ones off the ship.

This sailor holds her son aloft shortly after tearfully embracing him. The eventful seven-month voyage of HMS Queen Elizabeth's carrier group has finally come to an end

The mother of the sailor, shortly after embracing her child with great emotion, holds her son in high esteem. After a seven-month journey, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s transport group finally reached its destination. 

However, China’s advanced spying means that it probably already has all the information necessary to understand about this jet.   

He was seen hanging off the HMS Queen Elizabeth edge, his parachute line caught against the edge. 

According to US officials, the US was helping to retrieve the plane.

The operation was expected to involve deep water remote-controlled vehicles to find the F-35, before huge inflatable bags would be attached to it so that it could float to the surface of the ocean on its own.  

It was believed that the US Navy used a TPL-25-towed pinger locater system to find F-35’s emergency relocation piner.

TPL-25 is composed of a device that’s towed behind an underwater search boat. It detects pingers at depths up to 20,000 feet (3.8 miles).