A British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II fighter jet that made an emergency landing in Kerala in June after suffering a hydraulic failure has been parked at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport for a month now. On July 6, three weeks after the aircraft made an emergency landing, the fighter jet was towed to a hangar to fix engineering issues and hydraulic snag. The British crew has been trying to get on the bonnet of the aircraft and fix it. However, it appears unlikely that the fighter jet will be able to fly back on its own.
Why UK's F-35 Jet Is Staying In Kerala
Over the past month, several attempts have been made to repair the hydraulic snag in the jet, but all in vain, extending its stay in Kerala. Last Sunday, a team of 24 people from the UK - 14 technical experts from the British Royal Air Force and 10 crew members - landed in Kerala to check whether the fighter jet can be repaired locally or needs to be dismantled and transported back.
Since India doesn't operate F-35, special equipment had to be flown in to move the aircraft into a hangar. For the past week, the aircraft has been inside the repair and maintenance hangar with the British crew trying to get on the bonnet of the aircraft and fix it. However, it appears that the plane might not be able to fly back on its own power. The crew might have to dismantle and bundle the fighter jet into a larger aircraft.
British technicians have been considering taking the F-35B home in a C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft. The first-ever F-35 wing removal and shipment via air transport took place in May 2019.
How Did F-35 Reach Kerala
On June 14, the F-35B fighter jet, en route from the UK to Australia, made an emergency landing in Kerala's Trivandrum after it encountered a hydraulic failure.
The pilot, facing low fuel levels and adverse weather conditions, opted for an emergency landing at the nearest suitable airport, which happened to be in Kerala. The Indian Air Force facilitated the landing and assisted.
The 5th-generation stealth fighter is part of the UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, which is currently operating in the Indo-Pacific and recently completed joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy.
The F-35B fighter jet is valued at over $110 million, and is the most expensive fighter jet in terms of development cost.
