After two weeks of searching, the British Royal Navy found the wreckage of the F-35B stealth fighter that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea. The Royal Navy and its allies were patrolling the area where the accident occurred in mid-November.
National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove confirmed on Tuesday that the plane had been found at the bottom of the sea. “My understanding is that the experts know where the aircraft is. Yes, we have located it. We haven’t hoisted the plane yet.”, said Lovegrove.
On November 17th, the RN informed that an F-35B crashes into the sea while trying to take off from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. The pilot ejected and was later rescued with minor injuries. Last week appeared images showing the exact moment the fighter crashes of the vessel's ramp.
Well thank God he is still with us! That's all I can say. pic.twitter.com/YtL6f0BFAm
— Seb H (@sebh1981) November 29, 2021
Questioned by lawmakers, Lovegrove appeared to indicate that there was some Russian activity or interest around the crash site, the report says. The National News. However, he told the House of Commons defense committee that measures had been taken to protect the jet's highly sensitive equipment and stealth secrets.
Warships and recovery vessels, along with submarines, were quickly dispatched to the scene, possibly south of Crete. “The recovery of the flight data recorder and the wreckage are really vital for an accurate investigation to determine the causes of the accident”, Lovegrove said on Tuesday.
Days after the accident, anonymous sources reported that the Royal Navy had requested help from the United States to find the poaching. The race against time is to prevent opposing nations from capturing the latest generation fighter, revealing and obtaining secret data.
“Clearly, rapid aircraft recovery is what we would like to do and we are working closely with allies on the mechanics of this. But I can't go into too much detail about that for operational security reasons."
Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the committee, raised the issue of Russia's state-of-the-art underwater capabilities for tracking shipwrecks and mapping seafloor activity.
“Is it a concern of yours that the Russians are nearby and also looking for the F-35?” asked Mr. Ellwood. Lovegrove replied: "We are aware of Russian submarine capabilities and you are right to identify them as being state-of-the-art."
But he said precautions were being taken to ensure the F-35's technology remained confidential. The fighter's plating would be considered a big prize, as it could allow rivals to replicate its stealth capabilities or give them a greater ability to shoot them down.
Defense Ministry officials are concerned about the Russians, who have a naval base in Tartus, Syria, more than a day's sail away.
