Stranded for 5 weeks, UK stealth jet F35-B finally flies off

The British Royal Navy's F-35B fighter jet, which had been stranded in Kerala for more than five weeks after making an emergency landing, flew out of the Thiruvananthapuram airport this morning.

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The jet flew out after its hydraulics were repaired by a team that arrived from the UK on July 6.

"A UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion on June 14, departed today from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. A UK engineering team, deployed since July 6, completed the repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service," said a British High Commission spokesperson.

The jet is expected to re-join the UK's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales which is leading the UK deployment for Operation Highmast and is now in the Indo-Pacific. The plane is expected to re-fuel mid-air or land at one of the US bases in the Philippines for re-fuelling and giving rest to the pilot.

The jet had made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram as it was running low on fuel over the Arabian Sea and rough weather led the pilot to seek a diversion. The jet had landed safely but it had since developed a technical snag and is unable to return to the carrier.

The planes landing in Kerala was as per agreed contingency plans between the Indian and UK armed forces for the ‘Operation Highmast’ launched by the UK in April for eight months.