After being stranded for 22 days in Kerala, the British Royal Navy’s F-35B stealth fighter jet has been successfully relocated to a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. This relocation follows the arrival of a team of British and American engineers tasked with assessing the aircraft and evaluating repair options.
The F-35B, which carries a value exceeding $110 million, is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group. It made an emergency landing on June 14 due to severe weather conditions along with a hydraulic system malfunction. The Indian Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) facilitated a safe landing around 9:30 PM. Although the landing itself was executed smoothly, post-landing checks revealed a critical fault in the hydraulic system, which subsequently grounded the aircraft indefinitely.
A video shared on social media captured the moment the stranded F-35B was moved from its initial position to a hangar. A team of 25 engineers from the British Royal Air Force arrived on a dedicated Airbus A400M Atlas to assess whether repairs could be conducted on-site or if partial dismantling and airlifting back to the UK would be necessary. Moving the aircraft inside the hangar is considered a significant step towards expediting the inspection and repair process, particularly as the jet had been exposed to the monsoon season in an open bay.
Initial attempts made by a smaller, three-member Royal Navy team to address the hydraulic fault were unsuccessful. This led to the UK sending a more substantial group of Lockheed Martin-trained technicians. However, the deployment faced delays that prolonged the aircraft’s stay in India.
In light of this situation, the British High Commission has thanked Indian authorities for their cooperation. A spokesperson from the commission expressed gratitude for the ongoing support and collaboration of the airport teams and local officials.
Currently, a six-member detachment from the HMS Prince of Wales is stationed to safeguard the aircraft in conjunction with personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Ongoing discussions between Indian authorities and British engineers aim to finalize the next steps for the F-35B.
As the only variant of the fifth-generation stealth fighter capable of short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL), the F-35B is designed to operate efficiently from aircraft carriers and short-runway airbases. The aircraft was on a routine sortie in the Indo-Pacific region when it encountered the adverse weather conditions that necessitated the emergency landing.
The presence of the fighter jet has sparked curiosity online, generating various posts and memes. However, its technical issues also underscore the challenges associated with operating advanced military aviation platforms in unpredictable environments. With the aircraft now secured and undergoing expert evaluation, a clearer understanding of its operational status is anticipated in the upcoming days.
