First Visuals! Stranded British F-35B jet moved to hangar weeks after emergency landing at airport in Kerala
A team of technical experts aboard a British Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Sunday, to assess the F-35 fighter jet.
Take a look at the video here:
The UK Navy fighter jet had made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14.
(This is a developing story. Keep checking for more updates)
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News18
14 minutes ago
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UK Royal Air Force Engineers Repair Stranded F-35 Jet In Kerala, Official Shares Photos
Last Updated: The British F-35 fighter jet, stranded in Kerala for 22 days since making an emergency landing last month, was moved from its grounded position to the hangar on Sunday. A 24-person team of British Royal Air Force arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday to inspect and assess the British F-35B fighter jet that remained grounded for three weeks following an emergency landing last month. The team consisting of 14 technical experts and 10 crew members, aboard British Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas arrived at Thiruvananthapuram airport yesterday. It will assess the condition of the stranded jet to determine whether it can be repaired locally or needs to be dismantled and transported back to the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the stranded jet was moved from its grounded position to the hangar on Sunday. The office of UK Defence in India shared the update on the repair works of the stranded jet saying the team of UK engineers is working on the repair works of the F-35B jet. 'A team of UK engineers has arrived in India to commence repairs on the UK F35B aircraft. Repairs are underway on the aircraft, which has now been moved to the maintenance hangar. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities," it said in a post on X. UPDATE: A team of UK engineers has arrived in India to commence repairs on the UK F35B aircraft. Repairs are underway on the aircraft, which has now been moved to the maintenance hangar. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities. 🇬🇧🤝🇮🇳 — UK Defence in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKDefenceIndia) July 7, 2025 The jet, worth over $110 million, is one of the most advanced fighter planes in the world. The aircraft was conducting operations 100 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala when it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14 due to a technical problem. The F-35B jet, owned by Britain's Royal Navy, might need to be dismantled for transport or flown out in one piece using a large special aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster. The Indian Air Force extended all possible support for rectifying the issue and ensuring its return. However, when the fighter jet was preparing to return to its carrier, a hydraulic failure was detected during pre-departure checks. A small Royal Navy team attempted to repair the malfunction but was unsuccessful. The F-35B is the only fifth-generation fighter jet with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, making it suitable for small decks, austere bases, and ships. First Published:
India.com
43 minutes ago
- India.com
'Grateful to India for support and collaboration': UK thanks India as British F-35B jet goes under repair in Thiruvananthapuram
The CISF is guarding the stranded British F-35B fighter jet. (Image: CISF/PTI) British Royal Navy's F-35B fighter jet update: The repair work of the British Royal Navy's F-35B fighter jet has started after it was brought into a hangar at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, nearly three weeks after it made an emergency landing due to bad weather during a sortie over the Indian Ocean, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed. A team of engineers from the United Kingdom, onboard the British Royal Air Force's (RAF) Airbus A400M Atlas, has arrived in India to carry out the repairs on the jet, which has been grounded at the airport since June 14. 'UPDATE: A team of UK engineers has arrived in India to commence repairs on the UK F-35 B aircraft. Repairs are underway on the aircraft, which has now been moved to the maintenance hangar. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities,' the UK MoD said in its statement. The fifth-generation jet, operated by the British Navy, had landed in Thiruvananthapuram after being unable to return to the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which was operating in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The aircraft encountered bad weather while on a routine sortie outside Indian airspace and made an emergency landing. The Indian Air Force (IAF) later confirmed that Thiruvananthapuram had been designated as the emergency recovery airfield for such situations. In a post on X, 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.' It further added, '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.' After the emergency landing, engineers from HMS Prince of Wales attempted to repair the aircraft but were unsuccessful. Defence sources later confirmed that the aircraft had developed a hydraulic failure while attempting to leave after refuelling. Following this, a specialised team of 25 technical experts from the British Royal Air Force was dispatched to India to assess and carry out necessary repairs. The team arrived in Thiruvananthapuram aboard a British RAF Airbus A400M Atlas military aircraft with specialised equipment. The Lightning 2 jet was then moved to the Air India Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar on Sunday. Earlier, the UK government had said, 'The UK has accepted the offer of a space in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, and is 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 British High Commission also thanked India for its support. 'We are working to repair the UK F-35B at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport as quickly as possible. We thank the Indian Authorities for their continued support,' a spokesperson said. 'The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams,' the statement added. The advanced stealth fighter jet produced by American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has drawn significant public attention and has even inspired quirky local marketing campaigns in the state of Kerala. The aircraft is currently under round-the-clock guard by personnel from India's Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and British personnel. If the repairs cannot be completed on-site, the Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL)-capable aircraft may be dismantled and transported back to the UK using a military transport aircraft.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
British F-35B jet towed to hangar at Kerala airport
An expert team from the UK arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Sunday afternoon to inspect and repair the British F-35B fighter jet, which has been stranded at the airport since June 14, an airport official confirmed. A British Royal Navy fighter jet being moved to a designated facility at the Kerala airport in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday (PTI) '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. The UK has accepted India's offer of space at the maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Thiruvananthapuram, and the British side is in discussions to 'finalise arrangements with relevant authorities', the spokesperson said. The expert team, comprising 21 members including aviation engineers, landed at the airport around 12.45 pm in the Royal Air Force ZM 417 aircraft, a type of Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft. Soon after the arrival of the British team, the £85-million jet was towed from the tarmac to a hangar. Several attempts to fix the aircraft have been unsuccessful and it had been on the tarmac since it landed at Thiruvananthapuram after reporting low fuel levels. According to officials familiar with the matter, the expert team will inspect the advanced stealth F-35B jet, belonging to the Royal Navy, and attempt to repair it and make it airborne again. In case of failure to do so, the British authorities are expected to partially dismantle the jet, under extreme secrecy, and airlift it possibly in a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, they said. The fighter jet is part of the Carrier Strike Group aboard the HMS Prince of Wales and had taken part in recent maritime exercises with the Indian Navy. It made an emergency landing on the night of June 14 at the Thiruvananthapuram airport after reporting low fuel and adverse weather conditions during a routine sortie. The Indian Air Force (IAF) facilitated the safe landing of the jet on June 14 and later provided refuelling and logistical support. Royal Navy technicians from the carrier strike group unsuccessfully attempted to repair the F-35B jet, which was parked at a bay designated for VIP aircraft and was guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Upon landing, the fighter jet developed an engineering issue, precluding its return to the aircraft carrier. Engineers from the HMS Prince of Wales had inspected the aircraft and concluded that the support of a UK-based engineering team was needed. 'To minimise disruptions to the regular airport operations, 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 statement from the British High Commission in India had stated earlier. 'The safe landing, logistics and continuing security and organisational support provided by India in responding to this situation further demonstrates the close coordination and deepening relationship that exists between the Armed Forces of the UK and India,' it added.
