Tow trolley, 40 staffers from UK as F-35 refuses to leave Kerala even after 13 days
Amid monsoon showers, shifting sun, and round-the-clock CISF watch, the British $110-million F-35 stealth fighter jet will complete a fortnight of being stranded on the tarmac of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram airport on Friday. Multiple attempts have been made to get it back into the sky, but all in vain. Now with the aircraft nearing two weeks of being grounded in India, the Royal British Navy is making a renewed push to get it airborne.advertisementGrounded since June 14 reportedly due to a hydraulic snag, the F-35B will now be attended to by a special tow vehicle being flown in from the UK, along with a 40-member team of British engineers and specialists, all headed to Kerala to carry out repairs.Meanwhile, reports reveal that the fighter jet will be fixed right here in India. And yes, Britain might have to pay parking charges for the jet's extended stay.
On June 14, the F-35B Lightning II, part of the Royal British Navy's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after reporting low fuel levels, compounded by bad weather that prevented a return to the aircraft carrier stationed 100 nautical miles off Kerala's coast. The Indian Air Force (IAF) facilitated the safe landing, providing refuelling and logistical support, but a subsequent hydraulic failure kept the jet grounded.BRITISH F-35B GROUNDED, BUT MEMES TAKE OFFadvertisementNow into its second week of being stranded, and even the subject of a mock social media post, the F-35B aircraft is finally seeing intensified efforts to fix it. Social media in India didn't take long to jump inJust within a week of the F-35's unscheduled stay kicking-off, memes started flying in.One viral post, which was reported widely, listed the $110-million jet for sale on OLX for just $40 million.Others joked that the jet deserves Indian citizenship now. Some said that the British F-35B is lucky to be parked out in the open in Kerala. Anywhere else, and it might've been stolen by now, they said.UK REPAIR TEAM, TOW VEHICLE HEADED TO KERALAA 40-member UK team of specialists, equipped with a special tow vehicle, is on its way to Kerala to repair the jet in Air India's Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hangar located in the Thiruvananthapuram airport, reported the Kerala-based English newspaper Onmanorama."The aircraft will be moved to a space in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility hangar once specialist equipment and UK engineering teams arrive," a British High Commission spokesperson was quoted by The Hindu.Now the decision to shift the jet to the hangar reverses the earlier reluctance of the British Navy due to concerns untold, but best understood.advertisementA Kerala Kaumudi report noted that the tow vehicle will ensure safe movement to the hangar, where repairs will proceed shielded from monsoon rains."The UK is working to repair the F-35B at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport as quickly as possible. We thank the Indian authorities for their continued support," the spokesperson of the British High Commission in India was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.ROYAL NAVY'S FIRST REPAIR ATTEMPT HAD HIT A WALLInitially, the jet's emergency landing was attributed to low fuel and adverse weather during a routine flight as part of a maritime exercise. The Indian Air Force's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) coordinated the landing at Thiruvananthapuram. After refuelling, a hydraulic system failure was detected, which is critical for the jet to operate, rendering it unflightworthy.The Royal Navy technicians from HMS Prince of Wales attempted repairs, but the issue persisted. The British F-35 B, now parked at Bay 4 under Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) protection, has been drawing the attention of many on social media, where a satirical post said it was up for sale on OLX.advertisementPrevious repair attempts involved a small team of Royal Navy technicians, who could not resolve the hydraulic issue. The Royal Navy declined initial offers to move the cutting-edge stealth jet to Air India's hangar. Now, with the bigger specialised UK team and a vehicle to tow it on the way, the focus is on in-situ repairs.Now, airlifting the jet to the UK remains an option if the renewed repair efforts fail. In that situation, Thiruvananthapuram airport may well witness a Royal Air Force lifter, say, a Globemaster, in action.- EndsMust Watch
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