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Kerala Tourism Troll Pushed UK To Recover F35 Fighter Jet? All Details Here
A British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14 due to bad weather. Though discussions took place regarding moving the F35 fighter jet to a safer location, the UK has been slightly hesitant due to chances of espionage of data from the 5th-generation fighter jet.
However, a recent spoof "review" of the F35 fighter jet, as part of Kerala tourism campaign, went viral and the UK government seem to have boosted the efforts to recover the stranded F-35 fighter jet from Trivandrum Airport.
Now, the UK is considering airlifting the jet aboard a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, a rare move for this class of fighter. Overall, 19 days after its unscheduled landing in Kerala, field repair attempts have yet to succeed.
Repair Efforts and Challenges
The aircraft has developed an engineering issue that has kept it grounded since landing. Sources confirm initial assessments were conducted but repair attempts have not succeeded yet. The Royal Navy has sent specialised engineers from the UK with advanced diagnostic equipment.
A spokesperson for the British High Commission stated that once engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, the aircraft will be moved into an airport hangar. The timeline for repairs remains uncertain as efforts continue to minimise local disruptions.
Emergency Landing Details
The emergency landing occurred around 9:30 am local time on June 15 after a routine Indo-UK naval exercise. Lower-than-expected fuel levels added urgency to the diversion. A Royal Navy AW101 Merlin helicopter arrived the next day to extract the pilot back to HMS Prince of Wales while the jet remained under guard.
Initially, Air India offered hangar space for the jet, but the British Navy declined due to concerns about exposing sensitive technologies. Two weeks later, the UK government agreed to move the jet to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport.
Global Context of F-35 Programme
The F-35 programme is one of military aviation's largest and costliest initiatives. Globally, F-35s have flown over 800,000 hours across various services and combat theatres. Israel uses its F-35As for precision strikes in Syria and against Iranian-linked targets; meanwhile, US F-35s are regularly deployed in regions like Europe and the Middle East.
Flight tracking data related to this emergency landing has been removed from public platforms. Despite challenges faced in Kerala, efforts are ongoing to ensure that this state-of-the-art aircraft returns safely to active service after necessary repairs and safety checks.
DriveSpark Thinks
The Indian Air Force has been assisting with logistical support for repairing and returning the F-35B aircraft. However, all details regarding maintenance timelines and communications between Indian and British authorities are confidential. That said, the decision to transport the F-35B fighter jet using the C-17 Globemaster seems to be coincidental with Kerala Tourism's spoof review.
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