Almost three weeks since a British F-35B stealth fighter plane made an unscheduled landing at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, the state-of-the-art aircraft continues to be on the ground.
With repair work on site thus far unsuccessful, the UK is now reportedly weighing the option of taking the fighter jet back on board a C-17 Globemaster—a rare procedure for aircraft of this type.
The aircraft in question is an F-35B, the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version of Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation fighter, built for versatility in naval operations. It was returning to HMS Prince of Wales—the Royal Navy's flag carrier aircraft carrier deployed in the Indo-Pacific—when it had to divert to Kerala.
In line with a statement made by the British High Commission last week, "adverse weather conditions" kept the plane from landing on the aircraft carrier, compelling the pilot to divert and land safely at Thiruvananthapuram Airport on June 15.
Since then, though, the jet has been suffering from what UK officials have characterized as "an engineering issue," rendering it unable to take off.
"A UK F-35 was not able to make the return to HMS Prince of Wales because of bad weather. Keeping safety first, the aircraft landed at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in India, where it landed safely. The aircraft has now come to develop an engineering fault while on ground which prevented it from returning to the Carrier," stated the official release from the High Commission.
Initial tests were conducted at the airport, but attempts to fix the technical breakdown have not been successful. In reaction, a team of specialist engineers from the UK, who had been fitted with advanced diagnostic equipment, was airlifted to help with the recovery process.
Reports suggest the process is in progress, with the cooperation of Indian Air Force authorities, to relocate the aircraft to a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility within the airport campus to allow the repairs in a controlled setup.
Although the High Commission has not provided a timeframe for getting the aircraft airworthy, it ensured that every effort is being made to ensure minimum disruption to airport operations.
A Cautious Touchdown
The accident was at about 9:30 am on June 15, just after a bilateral naval exercise between the UK and India. The authorities add that the plane was also low on fuel compared to what had been anticipated, which raised the urgency for a diversion.
A Royal Navy AW101 Merlin helicopter came to the airport the day following the emergency landing to pick up the pilot, who was airlifted safely back to the HMS Prince of Wales. The fighter jet has been kept under close security ever since it arrived.
The Indian Air Force has also reportedly given logistical support after a formal request by the Royal Navy.
The F-35 program is the most expensive and largest military aviation project ever undertaken. Together, the worldwide fleet of F-35s has accumulated more than 800,000 flight hours in a wide range of operations and missions. The F-35As have been used by countries like Israel to conduct precision strikes against Syrian and other targets, with the United States maintaining ongoing F-35 coverage in key regions worldwide such as the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific.
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