--- title: "F-35 From The Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth Has Crashed Into The Sea (Updated)" description: "The incident in the Mediterranean is the first F-35 loss of any kind during carrier operations." date: "2021-11-17" modified: "2021-11-17" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/43178/f-35-from-the-carrier-hms-queen-elizabeth-has-crashed-into-the-sea" categories: - "Air" - "Carriers" - "F-35" - "Fighters" - "HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)" - "Naval Aviation" - "Navies" - "Queen Elizabeth Class" - "Royal Navy" - "Sea" tags: - "aircraft accident" - "Crash" - "F-35 Lightning II" - "F-35B" - "HMS Queen Elizabeth" - "Joint Strike Fighter" - "royal air force" - "Royal Navy" - "VMFA-211" --- # F-35 From The Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth Has Crashed Into The Sea (Updated) ![]() *www.twz.com* The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that an [F-35B Lightning stealth jet]() that was operating from the Royal Navy’s flagship, the aircraft carrier [HMS *Queen Elizabeth*](), currently underway in the eastern Mediterranean, crashed into the sea earlier today, soon after takeoff. Details are still limited, but the British pilot was able to eject safely and has been returned to the ship. The aircraft carrier is on its maiden operational cruise, and this is the first loss of a Joint Strike Fighter while operating from the deck of an aircraft carrier or [amphibious assault ship](). The F-35B crashed during routine flying operations at approximately 10:00 AM U.K. time this morning, and no other aircraft were involved in the mishap. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has offered no additional details about the circumstances of the incident but has said that an investigation is now underway. ![message-editor%2F1637164630345-f-35s-hms-qe.jpg]() *A pair of British F-35Bs on the deck of HMS *Queen Elizabeth*., *Crown Copyright** https://twitter.com/\_/status/1460987353410027530 https://twitter.com/\_/status/1461015135124967432 HMS *Queen Elizabeth* is back in the Mediterranean, having just recently transited north through the Suez Canal after having sailed to the Asia Pacific region as part of [Carrier Strike Group 21](), or CSG21, earlier this year, during a 26,000-nautical-mile cruise that planned to take in visits to 40 nations, as well as various bilateral and multinational exercises. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1460976531715420163 The preparations within the British Lightning Force, ahead of this major undertaking, are something that *The War Zone* [discussed in detail]() with Group Captain Jim Beck, the Station Commander of RAF Marham, the home base of the U.K. F-35Bs. Prior to this mishap, the carrier had a contingent of eight F-35Bs from the Royal Air Force’s No. 617 Squadron, the “[Dambusters](),” onboard. These are embarked alongside 10 similar jets from the U.S. Marines Corps’ Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, the “[Wake Island Avengers](),” based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona, but currently [under British command](). As well as HMS *Queen Elizabeth*, the Royal Navy elements of CSG21 consist of the [Type 45 destroyers]() HMS *Diamond* and *Defender*, the [Type 23 class frigates]() HMS *Kent* and *Richmond*, the replenishment tanker [RFA *Tidespring*](), the fleet tanker [RFA *Fort Victoria*](), and an undisclosed Royal Navy [*Astute* class]() nuclear-powered attack submarine. They are also accompanied by U.S. Navy’s [*Arleigh Burke* class destroyer]() USS *The Sullivans*, and the Dutch *De Zeven Provinciën* class frigate [HNLMS *Evertsen*](). CSG21 had taken HMS *Queen Elizabeth* to the Mediterranean earlier this year as well, during which British F-35Bs launched their first combat missions, as part of the international coalition fighting ISIS in the Middle East. This [was the first time]() that a Royal Navy warship embarking fixed-wing aircraft had taken part in combat operations since HMS *Illustrious* took part in the U.K. response to the crisis in [Sierra Leone]() in 2000. https://youtube.com/embed/kQjwSmKOjQA The loss of any jet fighter is a significant blow, but in the case of the United Kingdom, in particular, F-35B fleet numbers and costs have long been a point of fierce debate. To date, the United Kingdom has committed to buying 48 Lightnings by the end of 2025, at a cost of £10.5 billion. As of this morning, 24 of the jets had been delivered to the RAF, the three most recent examples arriving at RAF Marham in England in October. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1454059334900592642 Beyond that number, there has been a long-standing official target of 138 aircraft purchased across the lifespan of the program. However, the government has more recently admitted that the figure of 138 was taken “following some hesitation,” and most observers expect the number [to be reduced](), perhaps significantly. The U.K. government’s *Integrated Review Command Paper*, [published earlier this year](), did commit to increasing the F-35B fleet size beyond the 48 already ordered but didn’t provide any more details on numbers, and there is a tacit acknowledgment that the planned 138-aircraft figure has been abandoned. Overall, this is the fifth crash of an F-35, of all versions. The crash totals prior to this latest incident were two U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs, which we reported on [here]() and [here](), one [U.S. Air Force F-35A](), and one [Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A](). This tally does not include ground incidents, including [engine fires]() and [undercarriage failures]() on landing, for example. ***Update, 5:00 PM GMT:*** We now have apparent confirmation that the F-35B lost earlier today was indeed one of the eight embarked British jets, assigned to the Royal Air Force’s No. 617 Squadron and was not a U.S. Marine Corps jet flown by a British pilot. Paul D. Shinkman, the National Security Correspondent for *US News*, tweeted that the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed that the “pilot is British \[and\] was flying a British plane.” https://twitter.com/\_/status/1461009355495686149 ***Update, 8:00 PM GMT:*** The Headquarters Marine Corps has also now confirmed that it was *not* a USMC jet that was lost and provided us with the following statement: “We are pleased to hear that the British pilot is safe and back aboard HMS *Queen Elizabeth* after ejecting from a U.K. F-35 over the Mediterranean. U.S. participation in the U.K.’s Carrier Strike Group 21 has allowed us to train with the U.K., improve readiness and interoperability, and respond to situations such as these.” Meanwhile, the [@DefenceSenseUK]() notes that the mishap pilot was recovered by an embarked Merlin helicopter from the aircraft carrier. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1461024638289518602 Among its rotary-wing component, HMS *Queen Elizabeth* currently embarks [Commando Merlin]() helicopters from 845 Naval Air Squadron, as well as anti-submarine warfare and [airborne early warning]() Merlin HM2s from 820 Naval Air Squadron. https://twitter.com/\_/status/1377548704773767169 *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()