A British stealth fighter jet that crashed in the Mediterranean during take off from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has been recovered, NATO and UK officials announced on Wednesday (December 8th).
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The operations to recover the British F-35 jet in the Mediterranean have been successfully completed
," the British Ministry of Defense said on Twitter.
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The NATO allies (which are) Italy and the United States provided support during the recovery operation
," said the air command of the Atlantic Alliance on this social network.
Read alsoLondon and Washington want to recover the wreckage of an F-35 stealth plane before Moscow
The American-made F-35B plunged into the sea on November 17 as it took off from HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain's main aircraft carrier, returning from a mission in the Indo-Pacific region.
The pilot had been able to eject himself in time.
A simple plastic cover
Video filmed on board and broadcast by British media shows the plane falling into the water from the ramp at the end of the flight deck.
According to the UK Defense Journal, a sailor suspected of leaking the video has been arrested and returned to the UK.
British defense officials believe a plastic engine cover was left on one of the plane's air intakes, causing the crash, according to The Sun tabloid.
On November 22, British and NATO officials aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth assured AFP that they would be able to recover the wreckage before Russia did.
Officials did not give details of the recovery operation, citing the need for secrecy.
The UK has already received 21 US-made F-35Bs, mostly destined for its two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
Each jet costs more than 100 million euros.
The F-35Bs are a variant of the fifth generation F-35, capable of vertical landing and short take-off.
