British Fighter Jet Remains Stranded In Kerala A Week After Emergency Landing: What’s Next?
At the time of emergency, British fighter jet, part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group and operating from HMS Prince of Wales, had just completed joint maritime drills with Indian Navy in Indo-Pacific.
A British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II fighter jet continues to remain grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, a full week after it made an emergency landing on June 14 due to low fuel levels. The stealth fighter, part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group and operating from the HMS Prince of Wales, had just completed joint maritime drills with the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific when the in-flight emergency occurred.
The aircraft was granted special clearance to land at the airport—designated as an emergency recovery base—after it exited India’s Air Defence Identification Zone with low fuel reserves. Indian Air Force (IAF) officials confirmed the jet landed safely and received immediate logistical support, including refuelling, reported ABP Hindi.
However, plans for a return flight were derailed when the aircraft developed a hydraulic system failure just before takeoff. Despite efforts by an initial maintenance team flown in from the British carrier, the technical issue could not be resolved, leaving the cutting-edge fifth-generation jet grounded.
British Fighter Jet Struck In Kerala: What Next?
Now, a specialized engineering team from Lockheed Martin, the jet's U.S.-based manufacturer, is expected to arrive in Kerala to perform advanced diagnostics and repairs. The UK is also preparing to send additional technical personnel to assist with the recovery.
Defense sources told ANI that if on-site repairs prove ineffective, contingency plans are in place to transport the fighter back to its home base aboard a military cargo aircraft.
A few days ago, the F-35 fighter jet of the UK Navy had made an emergency landing due to low fuel, after which the Indian Air Force had provided all required support, including refuelling. However, when the aircraft was going back, it developed a hydraulic failure and could not go back. A maintenance team of the UK Navy had come and tried to rectify the problem, but could not,” a defense official told ANI. “A maintenance team of the UK Navy had come and tried to rectify the problem, but could not.”
The rare grounding of one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft on Indian soil has drawn international attention
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