British fighter jet stranded in Kerala to be repaired at airport hangar

The F-35 stealth jet diverted to Kerala after failing to land on its carrier due to bad weather or technical snag and will now be repaired at the airport's MRO facility

The British High Commission in India said on Friday that a fighter jet of the United Kingdom Royal Navy will be moved to a hangar for repairs at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Kerala, where it has been parked for the past two weeks.

 

The fifth-generation stealth F-35 Lightning II failed to land on the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales after encountering bad weather or a technical issue during a sortie on June 14. The fighter jet diverted to Kerala due to contingency arrangements between the armed forces of India and the UK.

 

“The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport,” a British High Commission spokesperson said in a media statement from New Delhi.

 

 

The statement added that UK engineering teams would arrive with specialist equipment, though it did not specify a timeline. 

 

“The aircraft will return to active service once the repairs and safety checks have been completed. Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed,” the statement said.

 

While the peacetime stranding of a foreign fighter jet is rare in India, the F-35—a military asset of a strategic partner—is being guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the agency responsible for airport security in India.

 

India can provide fuel and logistical support but not repair services for the US-made F-35. International protocols require such military aircraft stranded overseas to be either repaired onsite by authorised personnel or airlifted.

 

The UK warship on which the fighter jet was based is currently deployed in the Indian Ocean region as part of the Royal Navy’s months-long Highmast operation.