Probe after British F-35 fighter crashes in Mediterranean

                          

A British F-35 fighter jet has crashed into the sea during a routine operation in the Mediterranean, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The pilot ejected and has safely returned to the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and an investigation has begun, the MoD added.

The incident occurred at 10:00 GMT over international waters and no other aircraft were involved.

The MoD said it would be inappropriate to comment during the investigation.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the jet came down soon after take off.

He said: "We are pleased the pilot is safe and well and back on board."

Mr Wallace added that operational and training flights onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth are continuing despite the incident.

There are eight UK F-35Bs on the carrier and 10 from the US Marine Corps. They have conducted around 2,000 take-off and landings on board HMS Queen Elizabeth without any major incident over the past six months.

The aircraft are Britain's most advanced and expensive jets. Costing almost £100m, they can land vertically, similar to the Harrier Jump Jet, and combine radar-evading stealth technology with supersonic speeds.