Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 21 (ANI): The British Navy’s F-35 fighter jet, which has remained grounded in Kerala following a hydraulic valve failure during a routine sortie last month, was on Monday seen being towed into a hangar at Thiruvananthapuram airport.
Airport officials confirmed that the jet would not depart on Monday, and the exact timeline for its removal or departure is yet to be decided.
The advanced fighter aircraft, operating from the UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14 while on a routine mission outside India’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). The airport had been designated as an emergency recovery airfield for such contingencies.
The Indian Air Force promptly assisted the British crew, providing logistical support, including refuelling the jet. A technical team from the UK Royal Air Force later arrived to inspect and repair the aircraft, which remained parked on the apron for several weeks before being moved into the Air India hangar for further work.
Defence officials indicated earlier that, due to the hydraulic failure, the F-35 may eventually be airlifted back to its base aboard a military transport aircraft rather than flying out under its own power.
The F-35B variant, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a fifth-generation stealth fighter prized for its short take-off and vertical landing capabilities, making it ideal for aircraft carrier operations.
The emergency landing in India came shortly after the Indian Navy and the UK’s Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG25) completed a joint naval drill, known as a Passage Exercise (PASSEX), in the western Arabian Sea. That exercise was the UK strike group’s first significant engagement upon entering the Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)
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