Compliant we reported on the 17th of november, a British Royal Forces F-35B Lightning II crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. The stealth fighter was operating on the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and became the first accident of an F-35 operating on a vessel.
Now, a video published on social networks with its authenticity to be confirmed, shows the moment the fighter falls from the aircraft carrier, It is possible to observe moments before the F-35B falls into the sea, the pilot performing the ejection.
Check out the video below:
Well thank God he is still with us! That's all I can say. pic.twitter.com/YtL6f0BFAm
ADVERTISING — Seb H (@sebh1981) November 29, 2021
After the accident, the UK Ministry of Defense began immediate rescue of the sunken fighter jet. The biggest concern is that the F-35 or some of its components and technology could fall into the hands of Russia, or other powers considered “enemies” of the United Kingdom and the United States.
In addition, help was also requested from the North Americans, with rescue equipment at sea, considering that the plane is “intact” due to the slight impact caused during its fall into the sea.
At the end of May, HMS Queen Elizabeth departed on her first operational voyage. The British ship left England as the leader of CSG21 (Carrier Strike Group 2021), with eight F-35B fighters from the RAF and another ten from the US Marines. this would be the UK's largest naval air deployment since the Falklands War in 1982.
In June, the British stealth fighters attacked Daesh targets in the Middle East. In September, the Queen Elizabeth sailed in the South China Sea alongside a US aircraft carrier, a move that displeased Beijing.
The F-35B is the vertical take-off and landing version, in service with the US Marines, Italian Air Force and Navy, and Royal Air Force.
