British fighter jet makes emergency landing in Kerala

A British F-35B fighter jet made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Kerala on Saturday night. The jet was running low on fuel over the Arabian Sea and rough weather led the pilot to seek a diversion.

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The F-35B, a stealth fighter aircraft, is based on the deck of the UK's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. The jet was launched from the carrier but encountered adverse weather conditions in the vicinity, preventing it from landing back on the deck. Following this, the British pilot requested clearance to land on Indian soil.

Indian Air Force spokesperson in Delhi said it was normal occurrence that the F-35B pilot sought a diversion.

“IAF was fully aware and facilitated the aircraft for flight safety reasons. All assistance being given, and IAF is in coordination with all agencies,” the spokesperson said.

The UK carrier strike group led by HMS Prince of Wales commenced its eight-month deployment and is headed to the Indo-Pacific. Besides the F-35B fighter jets, uncrewed aerial vehicles, helicopters, anti-submarine frigates and an Astute-Class nuclear-powered attack submarine, are part of the UK deployment.

Earlier this week, the Indian Navy and the same UK carrier strike group had carried out joint maritime drills in the Arabian Sea.

On ground, Indian Navy officials and the British High Commission are coordinating with local authorities to refuel and assess the jet before it re-joins the carrier for operations.

The British F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet that has a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities. The aircraft is manufactured by US company Lockheed Martin.