New Delhi: After being stranded for over five weeks, a British Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet is finally set to depart from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on July 22. The advanced fifth-generation fighter had made an emergency landing on June 14 while flying from the UK to Australia, due to a hydraulic system failure. The pilot was also dealing with low fuel levels and bad weather, prompting the emergency landing in Kerala.
The Indian Air Force and local authorities facilitated the safe landing and provided assistance. Since then, a 24-member team from the UK, comprising 14 Royal Air Force engineers and 10 support crew, worked extensively to repair the technical fault. The jet was towed to a secure hangar on July 6 for final repairs.
The F-35B is part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, which is currently operating in the Indo-Pacific and recently conducted joint drills with the Indian Navy. With all repairs complete and final flight clearance granted, the fighter jet will now rejoin its fleet.
