‘Bro found peace': Stuck F-35 warplane now a top tourist draw in India's Kerala state
An X post from The ChalaToka has an anthropomorphised F-35 eating banana chips with three men having palm wine.
With its scenic lakes, lagoons, coastlines and cliffs, India's southern state of Kerala usually sparks 'separation anxiety' among those who travel there for a brief stay.
The desire to linger in 'God's own country' for a few more days is often irresistible – apparently even for an US$82 million (S$104 million) F-35 fighter jet.
That is what Kerala's tourism office has been laying out, in a memes-worthy campaign meant to reel in tourists as the summer travel season comes into full swing.
The British F-35 has been stuck at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram airport since June 14.
It was diverted there after it ran into bad weather during a sortie in the Indian Ocean and was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's flagship carrier.
It landed safely, but it has since developed a technical snag and is unable to return to the carrier.
Since the jet's landing, engineers from HMS Prince of Wales have assessed the aircraft, but they have been unable to fix it so far.
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Images of this 'lonely' F-35 eventually seeped into social media, providing fodder for jokes, memes and a kooky tourism campaign.
An online site has mockingly put it up for 'sale' at a 'shockingly competitive price' of just US$4 million. Amenities include 'automatic parking, brand-new tyres, a new battery and an automatic gun to destroy traffic violators'.
One user on X said the jet already deserves Indian citizenship as it has been in the country long enough.
But what really got the memes-ball rolling was when Kerala's tourism department joined in the fun on July 2 with a post on X that featured the F-35 sitting on a runway with palm trees and lush greenery as background, and a caption that read: 'UK F-35B: Kerala is such an amazing place. I don't want to leave. Definitely recommended. Five stars'.
The post has so far amassed 1.2 million views, and tonnes of kibitzing and ribbing.
Major-General Mandip Singh, a retired senior officer who taught at the Indian Military Academy, joked on X: 'I believe the 40-man engineering team also doesn't want to leave!!'
Others could not help but poked fun at the irony of a fifth-generation, pack-to-the-gills-with-technology warplane knocked down by some mysterious glitch.
'A Sukhoi Su-30MKI taking off right next to a parked F-35 in Kerala. Su roars into the sky, F-35 just sits there grounded. Caption: Some jets fly. Some wait for parts,' said one X user.
Two more users piled on with: 'F-35, technology nobody can repair'; and, 'Maybe try putting some coconut water in it instead of fuel?'
Mr Biju K., Kerala's tourism secretary, told Reuters: 'This was part of our tourism campaign. It has been one of the most innovative and eye-catching ones… It's all in good humour and creativity.'
Another X post from The ChalaToka has the F-35 anthropomorphised and sitting on a bench and eating banana chips with three men who were having palm wine.
'No wonder it refuses to leave now. Bro found peace, toddy and banana chips,' the caption read.
Not funny
But not everyone is finding it amusing. Dr Sameer Patil, director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, is one of them.
He told the BBC that each passing day that the jet remains stranded, 'it adversely affects the image of the F-35Bs and the Royal Navy'.
'The jokes and memes and rumours and conspiracy theories are affecting the image and credibility of the British Royal Navy. The longer the jet stays stranded, the more disinformation will come out,' he said.
The F-35 was diverted to Kerala after it ran into bad weather and was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's flagship carrier.
PHOTO: REUTERS
On July 3, the British High Commission said in a statement to the BBC: 'The aircraft was moved to the maintenance repair and overhaul facility at the airport and will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment.'
'The aircraft will return to active service once repairs and safety checks have been completed,' it added.
For now, the jet is being guarded around the clock by six officers from the Royal Air Force who probably are themselves enjoying some banana chips and coconut wine on their time off.
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