London: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that a British F-35 pilot flying from the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier had to eject during a routine operation over the Mediterranean.
The pilot was rescued, but the £100 million stealth jet fell into the sea during the incident, which occurred around 10 a.m. in the United Kingdom. According to defence officials, no other vessels or planes were involved. According to Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, the mishap occurred immediately after the F-35 took off, although other operational and training flights involving the fighters were continuing for the time being.
"A British F-35 pilot from HMS Queen Elizabeth ejected during normal flight operations in the Mediterranean this morning," a Ministry of Defense spokeswoman stated. "At this time, it would be improper to say further because the pilot has been safely returned to the ship and an inquiry has begun." The retrieval of the debris is a top priority for the UK, which wants to avoid the plane falling into the hands of a hostile power like Russia.
After a long tour that took it from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and back, HMS Queen Elizabeth is returning to the United Kingdom. Before Wednesday, eight British F-35Bs and ten US F-35Bs had been deployed onboard.
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