Video reportedly showing the moment a UK F35 stealth jet crashed into the sea has been leaked on social media.

The footage, which Sky News understands to be authentic, shows the incident which happened earlier this month as the jet took off from HMS Queen Elizabeth – the UK’s flagship aircraft carrier.

The pilot can be seen ejecting before the plane crashes into the Mediterranean.

It is the first time HMS Queen Elizabeth has lost one of its £100m warplanes.

The stealth jet is loaded with top-secret radar, sensors and other technology so recovering the wreckage will be a priority.

Eight British F35 jets are on the carrier, along with 10 American F35s. They are the B variant of the Lockheed Martin jet, which can take off at a short distance and land on the carrier.

As well as being the first crash for the aircraft carrier, it is also the first time any of the UK’s fleet of 24 F35 jets has crashed.

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