Wreckage Of Crashed F-35 Recovered From Mediterranean Sea: 'No Danger Or Compromise'

The wreckage of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea has been recovered, announced the U.K. Ministry of Defense. The two-week-long intensive search for the jet had seen the U.S. Navy sending a salvage crew.

"Operations to recover the UK F-35 in the Mediterranean Sea have successfully concluded, and there is no danger or compromise to sensitive equipment on the aircraft," a statement from the Ministry of Defense said, The Drive reported.

The report said it took two weeks to locate the wreckage on the seafloor and another week to bring it up to the surface.

The U.K Defense Ministry had made the mission to retrieve the aircraft a top priority following fears that Russia might get its hands on the wreckage of the jet to glean insights into its cutting-edge technology.

The F-35 plane, which took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, crashed into the sea during a routine operation in the Mediterranean on Nov. 17. The pilots managed to eject safely. Though there were reports suggesting that the aircraft had ingested an air intake blocker and the pilot had tried to abort the takeoff, there was no confirmation from official sources.

However, there was no grounding error immediately after the crash as other F35 jets continued operations from the carrier. Officials think the incident was more of a human error than a technical issue with the aircraft.

A video purportedly showing the crash, as recorded by a video camera system on the carrier, went viral last week. It showed the pilot ejecting just as the jet topples over the end of the "ski jump" takeoff ramp. The individual who leaked the video was reportedly arrested for recording and disseminating the footage without permission.

F-35s are said to be the most advanced and expensive jets. For the same reason, the U.K Royal Navy had made it a priority to ensure that Russia does not get hold of the downed jet from the seabed, which could have been an intelligence windfall for a potential adversary, especially if the aircraft could be recovered largely intact.

The recovery of the aircraft has not only averted that danger but also will help investigators to fully determine the circumstances of the crash, the report added.