Britain has called on the US to help find and salvage a fighter jet that crashed into the Mediterranean after its pilot ejected.
Royal Navy servicemen are working with the Americans to recover the F-35B Lightning II from more than a mile below the surface.
The UK is believed to have the equipment and manpower to rescue the destroyed £120million aircraft but their Nato allies were reportedly closer.
It was feared that Russia would try to steal the plane, which has top-secret technology inside it. The Royal Navy raced towards the accident site.
After taking off from HMS Queen Elizabeth yesterday, a pilot in the RAF was forced from his aircraft and plunged into the ocean.
After the F35-B plunged into international water, it sparked a race to discover the next generation plane. This is believed to have been the first F35-B crash in this area.
This technology, which includes top-secret radar and sensors from the US, allows F-35 to fly at supersonic speeds in hostile territories.
An RAF pilot was forced to eject over the Mediterranean yesterday, sending his £100million stealth jet crashing into the sea
The F-35B Lightning, file image), crashed into the water shortly after it took off for a routine exercise from HMS Queen Elizabeth (royal navy’s aircraft carrier). A rescue team was then sent to the area to find the pilot.
RAF F-35 Med crash was SEVENTH time £100m jets have malfunctioned in seven years
June 23, 2014: USAF F-35A was struck by an engine fire after it suffered from a broken rotor. The aircraft took off in Florida and quickly became ablaze.
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.
September 28, 2018 All F-35s on the ground were grounded during an investigation into why the fuel tube burst after a horrible crash at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort (South Carolina).
April 9, 2019 A portion of the tail from a Japanese F-35 was found around 85 miles east Misawa in the ocean during a training mission.
Mai 19. 2020: Fatigued and distracted pilots caused the F-35’s crash upon landing.
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.
September 20, 2020: F-35 stealth fighter aircraft fell out of orbit and exploded onto the ground following a collision with a KC-130J cargo plane in mid-air. This occurred near Salton Sea in Imperial County.
According to reports, deep-water remote-controlled vehicles will use inflatable bags to lift the F-35B Lightning II from the seabed during the joint hunt.
A Royal Navy source told the Times: ‘A number of nations have the capability to recover an aircraft from that depth. The Americans have offered their assistance. We asked them.
According to them, the military had not yet located the location of the crash and was gathering the equipment needed to recover the aircraft.
According to reports, the Americans had moved closer to the site of the crash and they left Spain’s port to aid in the rescue effort using the TPL-25 tow pinger locator system.
Britain is currently monitoring the area in which the suspect jet may be found to make sure it does not fall into the hands of Russia. Russia could save the aircraft, but the equipment is believed to not to be available.
The source said bringing the plane back to the surface was ‘not rocket science’ but ‘the problem is finding and getting to it — you need a machine that can get to that depth’.
It is possible that the plane may have ended up in another area, which could raise concerns about where it might be. They added: ‘We know the vicinity but we need to find it and attach floating devices to it.’
As the UK’s most advanced and expensive jet, the single-seater can land vertically and only needs a short runway to take off.
It is the first one Britain has lost and 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.
The F-35B is in doubt after this week’s accident. Britain has only 24 of them. The UK is set to buy 138 of the fighter jets from US aviation giant Lockheed Martin for £9.1billion in the coming years.
In June 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. A fire in the weapons bay of a USMC F-35B caused it to catch on fire mid-flight two years later.
A US citizen can now buy a 2018 car. After a fighter jet collided in South Carolina, a pilot on the F-35B was forced to flee midair during an exercise.
An even more impressive achievement was last year. USNI News reported that F-35B plane crashed in California near Naval Air Facility El Centro after hitting a KC-130J..
Howard Dyer is a regulator in aviation and told MailOnline today that military planes don’t have to meet the same standards as civilian aircraft because they do not fall under international regulations.
“Everyone who works in civilian aviation has to adhere to the same rules. These restrictions are not applicable to military plans, which are created by governments.
“If you see any trash planes, it will be military. The civilian aircrafts that fly over countries are subject to a much higher standard.
“But military ones can only with permission, or if invading their country or sea.
Chris Parry, Retired Rear Admiral, stated last night that while an inquiry is needed to determine exactly what caused the crash and how it occurred but that it was likely that the accident resulted from engine problems.
“Despite F-35B’s safety record, it was obvious that certain of these high-performance, maritime-demanding aircraft would be destroyed at one point.
According to reports, the Americans had moved closer to the site of the crash and they left Spain’s port to aid in the rescue effort using the TPL-25 tow pinger locator (pictured).
The map below shows where Wednesday’s F-35B stealth plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
After plunging into international water, the accident prompted a race to rescue the next-generation plane from the seabed, before foreign powers could access it, particularly Russia. Above: HMS Queen Elizabeth File Image
Last night, the Ministry of Defence stated that there was no hostile action in the crash. The investigation centered on human or technical error last night.
Helicopter rescue was apparently used to save the pilot who sustained minor injuries. After the pilot was injured, his family received information about the accident. Yesterday afternoon’s statement by military leaders included details of the event.
Having sailed to the Far East and attracted the attention of both Russia and China, the £3billion Queen Elizabeth was last known to have been in the eastern Mediterranean, after leaving Oman.
As part of the royal visit to Egypt, The Prince of Wales will be visiting the carrier tomorrow.
The RAF calls the Lightning a fifth-generation combat plane capable of carrying out air-to–surface strikes as well as electronic warfare.
To operate in unattended airspace, the aircraft employs a variety of sensors. Not only were there eight F-35s British on HMS Queen Elizabeth; there were also ten US-based aircraft.
Their take-offs, landings were flawless. F-35Bs from the UK can be found at RAF Marham (Norfolk) as part of 617 Squadron (“Dambusters”), when they are not onboard the carrier. US military testing found 276 flaws in the combat system of the jet.
Yesterday night, Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary said that the F-35 was abandoned shortly after takeoff. We’re happy that the pilot was safe and is now back aboard. We continue to conduct training and operational flights.
F35s are capable of hovering as they approach land, so a smaller flight deck is required. A F-35B fighter aircraft prepares to take off from HMS Queen Elizabeth, in the Arabian Sea. It was photographed on October 21st.
The Ministry of Defence stated that a British F-35 pilot, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was ejected in routine flying operations over the Mediterranean.
“The pilot is safe and sound, the investigation is underway. I don’t think it appropriate at this stage to speak further. Other aircraft and vessels were not involved.
The RAF and US experts have launched a comprehensive investigation into military aircraft.
America lured NATO and its other allies to contribute towards the production costs of the aircraft. 15 percent of each plane is composed of British parts, and some jets will also be made in Italy.
The planes are still plagued with a variety of problems that has caused high costs.
It is possible that the technology underpinning this new generation of war aircrafts could fail, causing them to not function correctly.
The true cost of the British planes delivered this year is estimated to be over £150million each to cover ‘extras’ such as software upgrades and spare parts. The software on the planes is also vulnerable to cyber attack and can’t be independently tested by the UK.
Also, weak connectivity on HMS Queen Elizabeth (the Royal Navy’s main aircraft carrier) is limiting the capabilities of the jet.
Although the F-35 cost is the focal point of attention, it has also led to embarrassing reports about operational issues in the United States.
A mock air combat was held in 2015. The cutting-edge aircraft was defeated by an F-16 from the 70s.
Pentagon tested the combat system of jet fighters and found 276 errors in 2020. These included excessive vibrations from the 25mm cannon and issues with the aircraft’s “virtual reality” helmet. There were issues with overheating, premature wear and vulnerability to fire.
The US Air Force has temporarily grounded many of its F-35 stealth aircraft while they investigate an oxygen supply problem.
The Marine Corps, who also operate the same F-35B model the UK has purchased, was forced to ground its planes after flaws were found in the computer system.
F-35: Faulty flight of the HMS Elizabeth planes
The delivery of the RAF’s new, US-built F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter in July 2021 marked a rare moment of celebration in what has been a troubled project.
Although the ‘fifth-generation’ fighter plane is considered to be the most costly weapon system in the world, its costs are now at an astonishing $406 billion.
Lockheed-Martin, the manufacturer of Lockheed-Martin’s aircraft, agreed to reduce costs following criticisms from Donald Trump. He even supported a competitor plane by tweeting support.
Britain is currently embarked on a £9.1billion programme to purchase 48 of the F-35s, from American aviation giant Lockheed Martin, by 2025.
A F-35B Lightning II Lightning II is the fourth aircraft to arrive at RAF Marham (Norfolk) on June 6, 2018.
America lured NATO and its other allies into contributing to the production costs of the aircraft. 15 percent of each plane is composed of British parts, and some jets are made in Italy.
The planes are still plagued with a variety of problems that has caused high costs.
The technical system that underpins the next generation of warplanes may be flawed and cause them to fail.
The true cost of the British planes delivered this year is estimated to be over £150million each to cover ‘extras’ such as software upgrades and spare parts.
The software of the aircraft’s computer system could also be at risk from cyber attacks. This cannot be verified independently by the UK.
Also, weak connectivity on HMS Queen Elizabeth (the Royal Navy’s main aircraft carrier) is limiting the capabilities of the jet.
The problems are not helped by the department responsible for the computer networks essential to the aircraft’s operation needs to find savings of £400 million this year.
After receiving reports on the cost and other issues, the Defence Select Committee launched an investigation into the project.
The Ministry of Defence was reprimanded for keeping Parliament and the public ignorant about costs.
The MoD has so far refused to provide the estimated cost to the UK of buying the F-35, beyond referring to a National Audit Office which used the £9.1billion figure.
MPs declared that it is unacceptable for MoD to withhold information to parliament and public about the estimated cost of the entire programme.
Although the F-35 cost is the focal point of attention, it has also led to embarrassing reports about operational issues in the United States.
The cutting-edge plane lost in a 2015 mock air battle to an F-16 of a different generation, which was built in the 1970s.
In 2020, Pentagon testing found 276 errors in jet combat systems.
The 25mm cannon vibrations were a problem, as was the helmet’s “virtual reality” functionality.
These issues included overheating, premature wear in vertical tails components and vulnerability to fire.
The US Air Force has temporarily grounded many of its F-35 stealth aircraft while they investigate an oxygen supply problem.
The Marine Corps, who also operate the same F-35B model the UK has purchased, was forced to ground its planes after flaws were found in the computer system.