Latest news with #ZM417
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- General
- 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.
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
UK expert team arrives in Kerala to repair grounded British F-35B fighter jet
Kochi: An expert team from the UK arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Sunday to repair the British F-35B fighter jet, which has been grounded at the airport since June 14, an airport official said. According to sources, the expert team will inspect the advanced stealth F-35B jet, belonging to the Royal Navy, and attempt to repair it and make it air-borne again The expert team, comprising 21 members including aviation engineers, landed at the airport around 1 pm in the Royal Air Force ZM417 aircraft, a type of Airbus A400M Atlas. 'The aircraft, after dropping the expert team, is expected to fly back from the airport around 4 p.m. today,' the official said. According to sources, the expert team will inspect the advanced stealth F-35B jet, belonging to the Royal Navy, and attempt to repair it and make it air-borne again. In case of failure to do so, British authorities are expected to partially dismantle the jet, under extreme secrecy, and airlift it—possibly in a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. The fighter jet made an emergency landing on the night of June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram Airport after reporting low fuel and adverse weather conditions during a routine sortie. The jet reportedly took off from the HMS Prince of Wales, the UK Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier. The Prince of Wales is part of the UK's Carrier Strike Group, currently operating in the Indo-Pacific, which recently conducted a maritime exercise with the Indian Navy. Also Read: British fighter jet makes emergency landing in Thiruvananthapuram Upon landing, the fighter jet developed an engineering issue, preventing its return to the aircraft carrier. Engineers from the Prince of Wales inspected the aircraft and concluded that the support of a UK-based engineering team was needed. 'To minimise disruptions to 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,' said a statement issued by the British High Commission in India earlier. Also Read: How UK's F-35 fighter jet, grounded in Kerala for 20 days, will be dismantled '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 further read.
