Stranded F-35 jet in Kerala may be dismantled, airlifted to UK soon: Report

The UK Navy's F-35 jet made an emergency landing in Kerala on June 14 after failing to return to aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales due to rough weather during a sortie in the Arabian Sea

The British Royal Navy’s advanced F-35 fighter jet, which was forced to make an emergency landing at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14, is likely to be partially dismantled and transported back to the United Kingdom by a military cargo aircraft, India Today reported. 

Despite multiple on-site repair attempts, the fifth-generation stealth aircraft remained non-operational due to an unresolved engineering fault. 

Plans to bring in a dedicated support team from the UK have also been delayed. Although a group of 30 engineers was expected to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram to assess and repair the jet, they have yet to reach India, the news report said. 

 

With no timeline in sight for restoring the aircraft’s flying capability, British authorities are now exploring alternatives. Dismantling the jet and transporting it aboard a military transport plane is emerging as the most feasible solution, the news report said.     

 

Forced landing due to bad weather

The F-35 Lightning II, a US-made stealth fighter used by the Royal Navy, was compelled to land in Kerala after encountering “adverse weather conditions”. The aircraft, which was based on the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, failed to return to the vessel during a sortie and diverted to the nearest suitable airfield. 

The emergency landing was conducted as part of “diversion contingency plans between the British and Indian armed forces for Operation Highmast”, the UK’s ongoing Indo-Pacific deployment. 

Prior to the incident, the HMS Prince of Wales had taken part in a joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea from June 9-10. The exercise was part of the UK Carrier Strike Group’s eight-month-long Operation Highmast mission in the Indo-Pacific region, led by the Royal Navy warship.

 

F-35 repair attempts and hangar shift

Following the emergency landing, a small Royal Navy contingent, including three technicians, attempted to fix the fault. However, the complexity of the issue prevented a successful repair. The aircraft has since remained parked at Bay 4 of Thiruvananthapuram airport, guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the news report said. 

Initially, the Royal Navy turned down an offer from Air India to move the jet into a hangar, despite ongoing monsoon conditions. However, it later agreed to shift the aircraft to a sheltered area for protection.