Latest news with #F-35LightningII
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- General
- Business Standard
British fighter jet stranded in Kerala to be repaired at airport hangar
The British High Commission in India said on Friday that a fighter jet of the United Kingdom Royal Navy will be moved to a hangar for repairs at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Kerala, where it has been parked for the past two weeks. The fifth-generation stealth F-35 Lightning II failed to land on the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales after encountering bad weather or a technical issue during a sortie on June 14. The fighter jet diverted to Kerala due to contingency arrangements between the armed forces of India and the UK. 'The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport,' a British High Commission spokesperson said in a media statement from New Delhi. 'The aircraft will return to active service once the repairs and safety checks have been completed. Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed,' the statement said. While the peacetime stranding of a foreign fighter jet is rare in India, the F-35—a military asset of a strategic partner—is being guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the agency responsible for airport security in India. India can provide fuel and logistical support but not repair services for the US-made F-35. International protocols require such military aircraft stranded overseas to be either repaired onsite by authorised personnel or airlifted. The UK warship on which the fighter jet was based is currently deployed in the Indian Ocean region as part of the Royal Navy's months-long Highmast operation.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Built for the USSR, invisible today: B-2 bomber's stealth so sharp that Iranian radars mistook it for a bird
How the B-2 stayed hidden Live Events Iran's weak defenses What happens now? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The U.S. used B-2 stealth bombers to attack Iran's nuclear sites, and Iran's radars didn't even see them. That's how stealthy the B-2 is — its radar signal is so small that Iranian systems thought it was a bird. The mission kept the element of surprise the entire time, as per the report by Business B-2 bombers flew into Iran for 18 hours and dropped 14 bunker-buster bombs. Each bomb was 30,000 pounds. This was the largest B-2 strike in U.S. history and the second-longest B-2 flight ever, as stated by bombers were supported by F-22 Raptors, F-35 Lightning II jets, and surveillance aircraft. These support jets helped clear the skies of any Iranian fighter jets or missile threats. Iran didn't fire any missiles at the American B-2 is designed to be invisible to radar using a special flying wing uses radar-absorbing materials and edge design to reduce radar signals. It gives off such a small radar signature that it can look like a bird instead of a huge bomber. The B-2 also flies silently and very low, making it even harder to spot, according to the Business Insider air defense systems are old and not well-connected with each other. Israel attacked and weakened Iran's air defenses earlier this month. Because of those earlier strikes, the U.S. had an easier time getting radar sites and missiles had already been destroyed before the B-2s even arrived. Iran's mountain areas, like near Fordow and Natanz, made radar coverage worse and easier to avoid. The strike happened at night, making it harder for Iran's human radar operators to respond, as stated by Business U.S. used total radio silence and misled the world about the timing. Trump said he'd take two weeks to decide — but the strike happened within days. Some U.S. jets flew the opposite way as decoys into the Pacific a few top planners knew about the real attack direction — it was a top-secret trick. More decoy aircraft flew with the bombers as they entered Iranian airspace to distract strike was called a major success by Trump. Still, it's not clear if Iran's nuclear program was actually stopped. Iran's scientists were likely evacuated before the strikes, and it's unknown where their nuclear material is, as per Business started this with earlier attacks on Iran's nuclear program, and the U.S. joined in later. Israel targeted Iran's top scientists, commanders, and defenses. The Trump administration had preferred diplomacy before joining the military action, as per the B-2's design makes its radar signal very small—like a bombers flew in for the mission.
India.com
20-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Big humiliation for Turkey's Erdogan as Indonesia..., had claimed about KAAN fighter jet...
New Delhi: Turkey/Turkiye had claimed that the deal with Indonesia has been finalized regarding the KAAN fifth generation fighter aircraft. Along with this, Turkey also said that it is in talks with many countries regarding the KAAN fighter aircraft. But now a big revelation has happened. Indonesia has claimed that it has not yet finalized a deal with Turkey on the KAAN fighter jet. Indonesia's big disclosure on KAAN fighter jet deal Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed in a post on X this month that Indonesia has signed a deal to buy 48 KAAN fighter jets. He had said that KAAN fighter jets will also be manufactured in Indonesia, which will also benefit Indonesia's domestic defense industry. But the Indonesian government has clarified that it has not finalised the deal for the purchase of 48 KAAN fighter jets and the number and terms of the deal are still under discussion. Indonesian newspaper Jakarta Globe has reported that Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Turkish Defence Industry Secretary Haluk Gorgun signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the acquisition of the jets on June 11. But the Indonesian Defence Ministry spokesman has clearly stated in a press conference that the deal has not been signed. Indonesia punctures Turkey's claim Indonesian Defence Ministry spokesman Farega Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang has said that 'no number is mentioned in the MoU. The 48 jets mentioned by President Erdogan is just the number of the Indonesian Air Force's needs, not the units ordered.' Apart from this, he has also said that until a legally binding contract is signed, no number or terms can be made public. This statement directly nullifies Turkey's official announcement and shows that Turkey's statement is only to create an atmosphere regarding the KAAN fighter aircraft and to show how many countries of the world are in a race to buy KAAN fighter aircraft. KAAN is Turkey's 5th Generation Fighter Jet, and it is being introduced at a time when many countries are unable to buy American F-35 Lightning II aircraft, especially Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE, which have been repeatedly blocked by the USA over security and technology transfer.
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Business Standard
20-06-2025
- General
- Business Standard
British stealth jet stays parked in Kerala days after emergency landing
A Royal Navy helicopter flew into Kerala earlier this week and unsuccessfully attempted to fix the aircraft that some experts said could be a hydraulic system failure New Delhi A British fighter jet that made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala almost a week ago continues to be parked there, as of Friday. The fifth-generation stealth F-35 Lightning II, part of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, was based on the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales before it encountered bad weather or a technical issue during a sortie on June 14. The fighter jet failed to land on the deck of the warship and diverted towards Kerala with help from the Indian Air Force (IAF). While the peacetime stranding of a foreign fighter jet is
India.com
20-06-2025
- India.com
Meet F-35B Lightning: UKs Fighter Jet That Royal Air Force Calls ‘Stealth Aircraft'; Check Role, Capabilities, And…
photoDetails english The F-35B Lightning is a 'stealth aircraft' operating alongside the Typhoon, according to the UK's Royal Air Force. It is a short take-off and vertical landing aircraft that can operate from aircraft carriers and in austere environments. Meanwhile, to bring forward a recent event, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday (June 15) informed in a post on X that a British Royal Navy F-35B fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on Saturday night. Updated:Jun 20, 2025, 03:56 PM IST Role 1 / 10 The Royal Air Force described the fighter jet as a "multi-role machine" and added that it is capable of conducting electronic warfare, air-to-surface, air-to-air missions, and intelligence gathering simultaneously. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) Capability 2 / 10 The aircraft features advanced sensors, mission systems, and low-observable technology, also known as stealth, which allows it to operate undetected in hostile environments. Using the integrated sensors, the pilot has situational awareness of the battle space while operating the F-35B Lightning. The pilot could share the collected information with other platforms using secure data links or utilize it to employ its weapons or electronic attack capabilities. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) History 3 / 10 As per the Royal Air Force, Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II is "the result of decades of development starting with the US Navy's 1983 Advanced Tactical Aircraft (ATA) program to replace the A-6 Intruder and DARPA's Advanced Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing (ASTOVL) project, aimed at creating a supersonic successor to the Harrier." The ASTOVL and ATA programs evolved, merging into the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program by 1996. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) Boeing and Lockheed Martin 4 / 10 Boeing and Lockheed Martin were entrusted to produce demonstrators for a competitive fly-off. The timeline of the production, test and delivery was such that in 2001, Lockheed Martin won the contract with its X-35, which became the F-35 Lightning II. The UK joined as a 'key partner', choosing the F-35B STOVL variant for its Harrier replacement and its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) UK's First F-35 In... 5 / 10 The UK received its first F-35B in 2012, and RAF Marham was made the 'primary base' for the aircraft. In July 2012, the UK government decided to purchase an initial batch of 48 aircraft. The first of these was delivered on July 19, 2012, for trials work, a task 17 (Reserve) Squadron assumed in 2014. "617 Squadron reformed as the first front-line Lightning squadron in 2018, comprising RN and RAF personnel, followed by 207 Squadron – the Operational Conversion unit – in 2019. Lightning achieved its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in December 2018 and became IOC (Maritime) in December 2020," the RAF's website elaborated. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) First British Pilot To Fly F-35 6 / 10 To go back a little on the timeline, Squadron Leader Steve Long became the first British pilot to fly an F-35 on January 26, 2010. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) First Operational Squadron 7 / 10 The first operational squadron, 617 Sqn, arrived in the UK in 2018. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) Joint US-UK Carrier Operations 8 / 10 US Marine Corps F-35Bs joined UK jets for training ahead of HMS (Her Majesty's Ship) Queen Elizabeth's first operational cruise in 2021, marking the start of joint UK-US carrier operations. (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X) British Royal Navy F-35B's Emergency Landing 9 / 10 In a post on X, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on June 15 (Sunday) informed that the Royal Navy F-35B fighter recovered off an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in India on the night of June 14 (Saturday). "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," the IAF 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 IAF added. (Photo Credit: @IAF_MCC) Credits 10 / 10 Note: All information about the jet has been accessed through the UK Royal Air Force's official website (Photo Credit: @RoyalAirForce/ X)
