Gale refrained from offering details on what caused the crash, saying only that the incident would be fully investigated.

Britain's GR4 Tornados have been involved in several crashes in recent years.

The aircraft most recently saw action with the RAF over Libya and has also been used in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are not part of the Ministry of Defense's multi-tiered defense plan for the upcoming London Olympics, which will depend on Typhoon jets to be used in London airspace.