British engineers are figuring out how to take home the stranded F-35B
- British technicians have been attempting to repair the F-35B's malfunction locally
- A fresh team of engineers arrived in an Airbus A400M to assess repair or dismantling needs
- Dismantling and transport require strict security to protect classified stealth technology
The Royal Navy's F-35B stealth fighter jet which has been parked on the tarmac in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram airport for three weeks has been towed to a hangar. British technicians have been trying to repair the malfunction in the jet all this while.
They are considering taking the F-35B home in a C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft. A fresh team of engineers arrived in an Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft.
The engineers will check whether it can be repaired locally or will have to be dismantled to fit inside a cargo aircraft for the journey home.
The F-35B fighter jet is valued at over $110 million, and is the most expensive fighter jet in terms of development cost.
Engineers from HMS Prince of Wales initially assessed the situation and determined that additional technical expertise and equipment from the UK were required.
The first ever F-35 wing removal and shipment via air transport took place in May 2019. An F-35 Lightning II was airlifted by a C-17 Globemaster at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The $200,000 four-year project culminated in the transport of the aircraft to Hill AFB, Utah, according to information on Eglin AFB's official website.
The stealth fighter jet with classified technology has to be monitored closely by the British military while it is being dismantled.
Every move has to be logged and verified; every screw has to be security-coded to minimise the risk of data breach. Theft of stealth technologies could reveal combat secrets, and poses a threat with diplomatic and military consequences. Protecting stealth tech is critical for national defence integrity.
