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British F-35 crashes into the Mediterranean, pilot ejects safely. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/11/17/british-f-35-crashes-into-the-mediterranean-pilot-ejects-safely/ British & American F-35Bs from HMS Queen Elizabeth joined those from the US, Italy and Israel for Exercise Falcon Strike 21 (FS21) in June 2021. FS21 is a joint, multinational exercise designed to integrate fourth and fifth generation aircraft and apply their advanced capabilities to an increasingly complex & contested battle space. (U.K. Royal Navy) LONDON – A British F-35B combat jet based on the new Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has crashed into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Ministry of Defence confirmed Nov. 17. The pilot ejected and has been picked up and returned safely to the carrier. The F-35B short-take-off, vertical-landing jet was one of eight British aircraft deployed on the Queen Elizabeth as it returned from a deployment in the Far East. The aircraft is one of 24 so far delivered to the British. The British are ordering 48 jets so far but have pledged to purchase 138, although that number is likely to be cut. Ten US Marine F-35B’s are also deployed on the carrier. The MoD said the crash occurred at 10:00 GMT during a routine operation from the carrier. No other aircraft were involved. HMS Queen Elizabeth is on its maiden operational deployment, acting as the centerpiece of a British-led carrier strike group including U.S. and Dutch warships. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, the MoD said on Wednesday. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/17/british-f35-jet-crashes-into-mediterranean A British F-35 pilot flying from the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier had to eject during a routine operation over the Mediterranean, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. The pilot was picked up but the £100m stealth jet crashed into the sea during the incident, which took place at about 10am UK time. No other vessels or aircraft were involved, defence sources said. The accident took place shortly after the F-35 took off, the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said, but despite the incident other operational and training flights involving the jets were carrying on for the moment. An MoD spokesperson said: “A British F-35 pilot from HMS Queen Elizabeth ejected during routine flying operations in the Mediterranean this morning. The pilot has been safely returned to the ship and an investigation has begun, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.” An immediate priority is recovery of the wreckage, with the UK keen to ensure the lost aircraft does not end up in the hands of a hostile state such as Russia. HMS Queen Elizabeth is returning to the UK after a long deployment that has taken it through the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and back. Eight British and 10 US F-35Bs were deployed onboard before Wednesday. Britain agreed to buy 48 F-35Bs from the US military company Lockheed Martin, at a cost of £6bn by 2025. Of those, 24 have been delivered. It is the first accident involving an RAF F-35B, although there have been a handful of previous accidents involving the fighter jets in the past three years. The most similar crash happened in September 2018, involving an F-35B, when the pilot, a US Marine, had to eject in South Carolina. Faulty engine tubes were blamed. Jets from HMS Queen Elizabeth previously participated in strikes against the remnants of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The crash will be investigated by the Defence Accident Investigation Branch, which usually takes several weeks before producing an initial report. A final report typically takes about a year to complete.