UK F-35B Stranded in Kerala to Be Dismantled & Airlifted Back, Repair Team Delayed

The Royal Navy fighter jet belonging to the British Royal Navy that has made headlines by being stuck at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala apparently for more than 20 days is most likely to be flown back into the United Kingdom, a source added.

Numerous efforts to fix the fighter and make it airworthy have been in vain and currently, a heavy lift cargo plane is likely to airlift it back to its country once technicians partially dismantle it.

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To worsen the delay, no engineering team of the United Kingdom has arrived in India. A team of thirty engineers were due to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram to take up reconstruction work, but they have not yet landed in the country sources said.

Being unable to predict the absolute time of the aircraft recovery, British representatives are currently developing the back-up plans which can help them to retrieve the jet. Partial dismantling has become most practical way so as to facilitate its return to the country using the military transportation.

The F-35B belongs to HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group which was on operations 100 miles off the Kerala coast when they had to face adverse weather and low stocks of fuel resulting into emergency diversion to Thiruvananthapuram. Indian Air Force aided the landing safely and offered refuelling and logistic support.

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But as the fighter jet was on its way back to its carrier, it was noticed that there was a hydraulic crisis during the pre departure check. This is as serious as it may interfere with the capacity of the jet to land and to fly properly. Three technicians in a small Royal Navy group tried to fix the malfunction unsuccessfully because the problem was difficult to address.

The plane has been on the tarmac in Bay 4 of the airport, under the feelings of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Air India made an initial offer to the Royal Navy to move the jet into a hangar at the airport, even though it was monsooning in Kerala. The British Navy later then agreed to move the jet into a hangar.

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