UK's Aviation Engineers Arrive In Kerala To Repair F-35 Fighter Jet Grounded For Three Weeks
The British F-35B fighter jet has been grounded in India for over three weeks due to technical issues. Engineers from the UK arrived in India on Sunday to fix the problem.
Over three weeks after the British fighter jet, F-35B, was grounded in India due to technical issues, a team of aviation engineers from Britain arrived at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, where the aircraft had failed to take off for 21 days.
The team will attempt to repair the America-made fifth-generation fighter jet, which made an emergency landing at Kerala Airport on June 14 and has developed engineering issues since.
The engineers were earlier scheduled to arrive in Kerala on July 2; however, the visit was postponed for unknown reasons, news agency PTI earlier reported, citing sources.
'A UK engineering team has deployed to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to assess and repair the UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion," a British High Commission spokesperson said on Sunday.
'The UK has accepted the offer of a space in the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, and are in discussions to finalise arrangements with relevant authorities. In line with standard procedure, the aircraft will be moved following the arrival of UK engineers, who are carrying specialist equipment necessary for the movement and repair process," the spokesperson added.
The UK expressed gratitude to the Indian authorities and airport teams for continued support.
The jet is currently parked at a bay in Thiruvananthapuram Airport and is being guarded by a six-member team from the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
The F-35B, owned by UK's Royal Navy, may need to be dismantled for transport or flown out in one piece using a large special aircraft, such as C-17 Globemaster.
The jet, which costs over $110 million, is one of the most advanced fighter planes in the world. It had to make an emergency landing at the airport on June 14.
The F-35B fighter jet is special as it can take off in a short space and land straight down, like a helicopter. This makes it useful on small ships, short runways, or remote areas.
After the emergency landing, the Indian Air Force said it is helping fix the jet and will assist in getting it back in the air.
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