British F-35B stealth jet stranded in Kerala may be flown home in C-17 after failed repairs
Thiruvananthapuram: The Royal Navy's F-35B stealth fighter jet, stranded for nearly three weeks at Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala, has been shifted from the tarmac to a hangar as British engineers continue efforts to assess the extent of a technical malfunction.
After days of failed repair attempts, the UK is now considering airlifting the $110 million jet using a C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft, according to an NDTV report.
A fresh technical team landed in India on an Airbus A400M Atlas, tasked with determining whether the fighter can be restored on-site or if it needs to be dismantled for transport.
The jet, among the most expensive in the world by development cost, requires specialised handling due to its classified stealth technology. British military experts are overseeing every step, as even the removal of individual components demands strict protocol, said the report.
Each screw is security-coded, and all actions must be logged and verified to guard against potential data breaches or tech theft, which could pose diplomatic and national security risks.
Initial assessments by engineers from HMS Prince of Wales suggested that additional tools and personnel would be needed from the UK.
The final decision — whether to fly the jet out whole or in parts — will be taken once the current team completes its evaluation.
The only precedent for airlifting an F-35 occurred in May 2019, when a disassembled F-35 Lightning II was transported from Eglin Air Force Base to Hill AFB, Utah, after a four-year, $200,000 project to develop the method.
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