What's happening with the UK fighter jet stranded in Kerala
A 40-member aviation team is expected to arrive in the Kerala capital on a special flight and attempt to fix the technical issue affecting the aircraft, which is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the UK's Royal Navy, reported PTI citing sources. Earlier, the team was scheduled to land in Kerala on July 2, but the trip was postponed due to unknown reasons.
As of now, the jet has been parked at a bay in Thiruvananthapuram and is being guarded by a six-member team from the HMS Prince of Wales, reported PTI.
An F-35B Lightening jet of the British Royal Navy made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport on 14 June. Considered one of the most advanced fighter jets across the globe, the aircraft sought permission from Indian authorities to land in Kerala after a technical glitch.
The incident occurred when the fighter jet was conducting routine flying outside Indian ADIZ with Thiruvananthapuram earmarked as the emergency recovery airfield.
The Indian Air Force on June 14 confirmed that a British jet made an emergency landing in Kerala due to technical issues. In a statement, the IAF said, 'A Royal Navy F-35B fighter recovered off an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of 14 June 25. Operating from UK Aircraft Carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, it was undertaking routine flying outside Indian ADIZ with Thiruvananthapuram earmarked as the emergency recovery airfield.'
Offering assistance, the air force said, 'On having declared a diversion off an emergency, the F-35 B was detected and identified by the IAF's IACCS network and cleared for the recovery. IAF is providing all necessary support for the rectification and subsequent return of the aircraft.'
The Royal Navy jet, which landed in Kerala last month and is worth $110 million, was moved to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Thiruvananthapuram Airport after the Indian Air Force offered to assist UK in repairing the engineering issue.
A spokesperson of the British High Commission said on June 27, 'The aircraft will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, thereby ensuring minimal disruption to scheduled maintenance of other aircraft.'
UK is sending a team of aviation experts, engineers and officials to Kerala's capital city on Saturday, July 5, to make necessary repairs to the fighter jet, after which it can be brought back to British Royal Navy base. No timeline has been given yet on how long it will take to repair the jet and fly it out.
The F-35B is the only fifth-generation fighter jet with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, making it ideal for operating from smaller decks, austere bases, and ships. Known simply as the 'Lightning' in British service, the F-35B is the STOVL variant of the fighter jet, designed to operate from short-field bases and air-capable ships.
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