British Navy team to inspect stranded F-35B jet in Kerala; tech fault grounds stealth fighter for a week
Thiruvananthapuram: A specialised team from the British Navy is set to arrive in Kerala with spare parts to assess the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet that has been grounded at Thiruvananthapuram Airport for the past week, sources told NDTV.
The fifth-generation combat aircraft, which belongs to the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group stationed in the Indo-Pacific, had made an emergency landing on June 14 while returning from joint maritime drills with the Indian Navy.
The jet was given special clearance to land after it reported dangerously low fuel levels.
Though authorities initially expected it to take off soon after refuelling, a technical fault was detected that has since kept the aircraft grounded.
A Royal Navy helicopter later flew in a team of engineers and a replacement pilot, but repeated attempts to get the aircraft airborne were unsuccessful.
According to sources, a larger team of more than 30 personnel is expected to reach the site shortly, though travel arrangements are still being finalised.
The group will conduct a detailed inspection and decide whether the jet needs to be moved into a hangar for further repairs.
Earlier, Air India had offered hangar space to house the aircraft, but the Royal Navy declined.
Sources suggest that apprehensions over exposing “protected technologies” could be the reason for the decision to keep the fighter jet on the apron.
The F-35B, designed for short take-offs and vertical landings, is known for operating from aircraft carriers and limited-length runways.
Yet despite its high-end design, the ongoing technical snag has left British officials baffled.
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