The Royal Navy Discussions and Updates

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Well this person is going to be looking for a job very soon I would think !!

Leaked video of the UK F-35B Crash !!


You can see she really never got going !!
Some speculation about the video source, phone video recording of a ship monitor perhaps. Also, leak source, perhaps the video was shown to committee MPs and their staffers leaked it. In any event it shows the plane is likely intact and a huge opportunity for unfriendly actors to gain info. Imagine there is a huge effort to find the jet and the crash area will be secured until it is recovered.
 

Musashi_kenshin

Well-Known Member
In any event it shows the plane is likely intact and a huge opportunity for unfriendly actors to gain info.
Actually I disagree. If the plane is intact I think it makes it harder for other countries to get much useful information out of it, as we've already got the Yanks heading out with their recovery services from Spain. It seems that everyone involved in the UK and US understands recovery is important, and there's no reason to think another country will get there first.

On the other hand if the plane had shattered into multiple pieces it would make recovery harder and increase the chances that something was left for the Russians to pick up.

Also, leak source, perhaps the video was shown to committee MPs and their staffers leaked it.
Looks a lot to me like someone leaning back from their monitor and recording it, rather than footage shown on a portable device or screen in London.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Actually I disagree. If the plane is intact I think it makes it harder for other countries to get much useful information out of it, as we've already got the Yanks heading out with their recovery services from Spain. It seems that everyone involved in the UK and US understands recovery is important, and there's no reason to think another country will get there first.

On the other hand if the plane had shattered into multiple pieces it would make recovery harder and increase the chances that something was left for the Russians to pick up.



Looks a lot to me like someone leaning back from their monitor and recording it, rather than footage shown on a portable device or screen in London.
Finding it first and doing a smash and grab is a possibility however. As for the recording, the monitor could have been in London playing an official MoD recording and someone there copied it with a mobile device. An investigation will determine the source.
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
Actually I disagree. If the plane is intact I think it makes it harder for other countries to get much useful information out of it, as we've already got the Yanks heading out with their recovery services from Spain. It seems that everyone involved in the UK and US understands recovery is important, and there's no reason to think another country will get there first.

On the other hand if the plane had shattered into multiple pieces it would make recovery harder and increase the chances that something was left for the Russians to pick up.



Looks a lot to me like someone leaning back from their monitor and recording it, rather than footage shown on a portable device or screen in London.
Makes sense - I've seen footage lifted directly from the deck monitors and it's way more clear than that.

Does make you question the basic integrity of staff at that level however.
 

Musashi_kenshin

Well-Known Member
Finding it first and doing a smash and grab is a possibility however.
a) How do the Russians get there before the Americans? Assuming they have something in the Black Sea we'd have known by now if they'd deployed recovery assets from here. Kalingrad/Russian ports are too far away. Tartus isn't a full Russian naval base, more somewhere to repair/refuel.

The carrier will have had its exact position when the plane crashed noted, and even accounting for drift it isn't going to take that long to find it. I expect an F-35 is a bit heavy for ocean currents to move a significant distance.

b) Even if the Royal Navy has left the scene I'm fairly confident friendly assets will stay there and would "encourage" Russian ships to naff off.

Does make you question the basic integrity of staff at that level however.
True, but remember there are pricks in every military around the world. Think about the guy who (is alleged to have) set the fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard. Assuming he is convicted, the motivation appears to be that he wanted to get back at the USN because he didn't become a Navy Seal. Breaking regulations to record on board footage isn't nearly as bad in contrast.
 
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John Fedup

The Bunker Group
a) How do the Russians get there before the Americans? Assuming they have something in the Black Sea we'd have known by now if they'd deployed recovery assets from here. Kalingrad/Russian ports are too far away. Tartus isn't a full Russian naval base, more somewhere to repair/refuel.

The carrier will have had its exact position when the plane crashed noted, and even accounting for drift it isn't going to take that long to find it. I expect an F-35 is a bit heavy for ocean currents to move a significant distance.

b) Even if the Royal Navy has left the scene I'm fairly confident friendly assets will stay there and would "encourage" Russian ships to naff off.



True, but remember there are pricks in every military around the world. Think about the guy who (is alleged to have) set the fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard. Assuming he is convicted, the motivation appears to be that he wanted to get back at the USN because he didn't become a Navy Seal. Breaking regulations to record on board footage isn't nearly as bad in contrast.
How do the Russians get there, no idea if they can or whether they could have PRC assistance. Probably unlikely but the RN and partners must make sure that they can’t access anything. WRT to the leak, could be a pi$$ed crew member but the copied video could have happened in the UK. Only an official investigation will confirm what happened and there is no guarantee the result will be made public (especially if the copy was made in the UK).
 

StingrayOZ

Super Moderator
Staff member
Does make you question the basic integrity of staff at that level however.
I dunno. This footage clears a lot of things up. There isn't going to be a wave of anti-F35 sentiment from this. Its just a cock up, they happen. Everyone is safe, procedures will be reviewed. No complex investigation to wait for regarding the aircraft. There is no mechanical fault, no gremlin to blame. It wasn't the aircraft to blame. Changes to preflight checks and perhaps what pilots need to do in a suspected loss of power might be very helpful, and save future lives. Clearly he waited to the very last second to eject and was probably doing all he could before that.

This isn't the first time, or last time an aircraft has been lost off a carrier. Events that might be merely annoying on a regular runway are very expensive lessons on a ship.
How do the Russians get there, no idea if they can or whether they could have PRC assistance.
Again, not sure the Russians are relevant in this. They tend to rely more on the human network than giant feats of logistics to get info. Agents could probably walk in and out of production facilities in say Turkey (or perhaps the US), much easier than trying to wrangle an underwater sneak steal. But it would make for an interesting movie.
 

Rock the kasbah

Active Member
Did you see at the end of the clip the pilots chute was hooked up on the bow ramp.
Dunno how high up that is but i would hazard a guess that a change of underwear was required after that little sortie.
 

Rudeboy

New Member
Did you see at the end of the clip the pilots chute was hooked up on the bow ramp.
Dunno how high up that is but i would hazard a guess that a change of underwear was required after that little sortie.
The pilot was suspended there for a while and had to release himself to drop into the water, no other way to get him....was then picked up by the rescue Merlin.
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
reminds me of the FAA Phantom loss where the aircraft had a short stroke, the RF4K trickled off the bow and slid over the side, to be run over by Ark Royal. Seconds later the seat rose above the surface like a very low budget Trident launch, depositing the pilot back into the drink shortly thereafter.

Apparently when he got back on board, SPLOT scrubbed out the next name in rotation, marked the pilots name in and pointed him at the next jet available. Back on the horse etc.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
reminds me of the FAA Phantom loss where the aircraft had a short stroke, the RF4K trickled off the bow and slid over the side, to be run over by Ark Royal. Seconds later the seat rose above the surface like a very low budget Trident launch, depositing the pilot back into the drink shortly thereafter.

Apparently when he got back on board, SPLOT scrubbed out the next name in rotation, marked the pilots name in and pointed him at the next jet available. Back on the horse etc.
So I guess the ejection seat launch is easier on the body when it happens underwater.
 

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
reminds me of the FAA Phantom loss where the aircraft had a short stroke, the RF4K trickled off the bow and slid over the side, to be run over by Ark Royal. Seconds later the seat rose above the surface like a very low budget Trident launch, depositing the pilot back into the drink shortly thereafter.

Apparently when he got back on board, SPLOT scrubbed out the next name in rotation, marked the pilots name in and pointed him at the next jet available. Back on the horse etc.
If the Air Boss did that today there would be hell to pay. Courts Of Enquiry, Courts Martial, and Senior Sirs arse covering at light speed.
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
I dunno. This footage clears a lot of things up. There isn't going to be a wave of anti-F35 sentiment from this. Its just a cock up, they happen. Everyone is safe, procedures will be reviewed. No complex investigation to wait for regarding the aircraft. There is no mechanical fault, no gremlin to blame. It wasn't the aircraft to blame. Changes to preflight checks and perhaps what pilots need to do in a suspected loss of power might be very helpful, and save future lives. Clearly he waited to the very last second to eject and was probably doing all he could before that.

This isn't the first time, or last time an aircraft has been lost off a carrier. Events that might be merely annoying on a regular runway are very expensive lessons on a ship.


Again, not sure the Russians are relevant in this. They tend to rely more on the human network than giant feats of logistics to get info. Agents could probably walk in and out of production facilities in say Turkey (or perhaps the US), much easier than trying to wrangle an underwater sneak steal. But it would make for an interesting movie.

They have some really interesting ocean floor capable assets in service, including an ex SSBN with a moon pool and so forth. It's suspected they have some systems capable at least of retrieving pieces of the aircraft.
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
If the Air Boss did that today there would be hell to pay. Courts Of Enquiry, Courts Martial, and Senior Sirs arse covering at light speed.

Absolutely. Mind, the age of the bold but not very forward thinking is still very much alive in some circles. At least two RAF exchange pilots apparently only told their bosses they were involved in combat missions when directly asked as much - til then they'd merrily been flying over the sunnier parts of the ME with live ordnance in a combat zone. Sounds super heroic but if they get shot down and there's no accounting for where they are, no prep for some member of ISIL calling the bloke's family from a seized mobile, that sort of thing ?
 

oldsig127

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
Makes sense - I've seen footage lifted directly from the deck monitors and it's way more clear than that.

Does make you question the basic integrity of staff at that level however.
According to the Thunderer it's been recovered and a crew member charged and removed from the ship for leaking the footage.

I'll bet the lack of sense of humour in the RN won't improve with the cricket scores so far


oldsig
 

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
According to the Thunderer it's been recovered and a crew member charged and removed from the ship for leaking the footage.
Somebody's promotion chances have just acquired the aerodynamic capabilities of a concrete block.
I'll bet the lack of sense of humour in the RN won't improve with the cricket scores so far.

oldsig
Ah yes, the great collapse. Can't be as bad as the Kiwi one in the second innings of the second test against India in India last week. The same test where that new Kiwi bowler took all 10 wickets in a single innings. Only third bowler to do that in test cricket.

The RN wardrooms will be muttering and choking on their gins.
 

swerve

Super Moderator
According to the Thunderer it's been recovered and a crew member charged and removed from the ship for leaking the footage.

I'll bet the lack of sense of humour in the RN won't improve with the cricket scores so far


oldsig
So, another career limiting move - but this one was deliberate.
 

StobieWan

Super Moderator
Staff member
According to the Thunderer it's been recovered and a crew member charged and removed from the ship for leaking the footage.

I'll bet the lack of sense of humour in the RN won't improve with the cricket scores so far


oldsig

I think the cricket was an "error 404, team not found" by the sounds of it :)

As to the jet, if they shake it off and put it in a bag of rice, I'm sure it'll be fine.
 
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