UK team to repair F-35 jet stranded in Kerala

Three weeks after a UK Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet made an emergency landing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, a 40-member team of British technicians is set to arrive in India tonight. The team will bring specialised equipment, including towing gear, to move the aircraft to a hangar at the airport before commencing repairs.

The jet, which landed on June 14 due to low fuel and adverse weather over the Arabian Sea, reportedly suffered a hydraulic system malfunction affecting its vertical take-off and landing capability. While the Indian Air Force (IAF) stated that the diversion was routine and carried out under standard contingency plans, the aircraft has remained grounded due to the technical snag, preventing its return to the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier.

The carrier, leading the UK’s Operation Highmast deployment in the Indo-Pacific, was operating in the Arabian Sea at the time of the incident. In a June 26 statement, the British High Commission confirmed that the jet would be relocated to a maintenance facility at the airport once UK engineers arrived with the necessary equipment. The statement assured minimal disruption to other aircraft operations and added that the F-35B would return to active service after repairs and safety checks.