The British found and lifted the sunken F-35B fighter from the seabed. The plane crashed from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in November due to a raincoat caught in the air intake.
According to The Sun newspaper, the plane was discovered after two weeks of searching at a depth of about 1 mile. Such a long time was needed due to the fact that the fighter, due to its design, was planning in the water and significantly moved away from the crash site. It took another week to develop an operation to lift the plane from the bottom and collect the wreckage.
F-35B takeoff from the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth
Image source: royalnavy.mod.uk
At the end of November, a video of the F-35B falling from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth appeared on the network, and later it was reported that the sailor who filmed the incident was arrested. The raised plane was sent to the port of the "allied country", and after that it is transported to the UK. Italian and American ships also participated in the operation to search for and raise the fighter.
The F-35B Lightning II is one of three modifications of the newest fighter-bomber F-35. The key feature of the F-35B is the possibility of vertical takeoff and landing, which allows these aircraft to be used on helicopter carriers and universal landing craft with a flight deck.
