The wreckage of a F-35B Lightning II jet, that crashed during takeoff from UK aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth last month, has been raised from the Mediterranean Sea, the Defence Ministry has announced.
It took two weeks to locate the wreckage and seven days to lift the jet from the seabed.
British, Italian and US vessels took part in the mission.
“Operations to recover the UK F-35 in the Mediterranean Sea have successfully concluded. We extend our thanks to our NATO allies Italy and America for their support during the recovery operation,” the MoD said in a statement.
The UK`s remaining F-35 aircraft, which were equipped with highly sophisticated radar and sensors, will be transported to a naval base in the Mediterranean.
As reported by The Daily Mail earlier, a possible cause of the crash was a rain cover that was accidentally left on the plane and sucked into the engine, causing it to lose power.
The flagship aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth entered the British Navy in 2017 and is now the largest warship in the history of the Royal Navy.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth is carrying on deck eight F-35B Lightning II-fast jets, four Wildcat maritime attack helicopters, seven Merlin Mk2 anti-submarine and airborne early warning helicopters, and three Merlin Mk4 commando helicopters.
At present, Britain has 17 F-35Bs, with a total of 138 fighters planned for the needs of the armed forces. £12.9 billion has been allocated for the purchase of aircraft.