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UK says 'grateful' to India as its engineers begin repair of stranded F-35B fighter jet in Kerala
The British Royal Navy's F-35B fighter jet has begun repairs after being brought into a hangar at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, nearly three weeks after making an emergency landing due to bad weather during a sortie over the Indian Ocean, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
A team of experts from the United Kingdom came in India on the British Royal Air Force's (RAF) Airbus A400M Atlas to repair the plane, which had been grounded at the airport since June 14.
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'UPDATE: A team of UK engineers has arrived in India to commence repairs on the UK F-35 B aircraft. Repairs are underway on the aircraft, which has now been moved to the maintenance hangar. We are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities,' the UK MoD said in its statement.
The British Navy's fifth-generation fighter landed in Thiruvananthapuram after being unable to return to the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which was operating in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The aircraft made an emergency landing after encountering poor weather during a normal sortie outside Indian airspace.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) later verified that Thiruvananthapuram had been designated as an emergency recovery airport in such cases.
In a post on X, the IAF said, 'A Royal Navy F-35B fighter recovered off an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of 14 June 25. Operating from UK Aircraft Carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, it was undertaking routine flying outside Indian ADIZ with Thiruvananthapuram earmarked as the emergency recovery airfield.'
It further added, 'On having declared a diversion off an emergency, the F-35 B was detected and identified by the IAF's IACCS network and cleared for the recovery. IAF is providing all necessary support for the rectification and subsequent return of the aircraft.'
After the emergency landing, engineers from HMS Prince of Wales attempted to repair the aircraft but were unsuccessful. Defence sources later confirmed that the aircraft had developed a hydraulic failure while attempting to leave after refuelling. Following this, a specialised team of 25 technical experts from the British Royal Air Force was dispatched to India to assess and carry out necessary repairs.
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The team arrived in Thiruvananthapuram aboard a British RAF Airbus A400M Atlas military aircraft with specialised equipment. The Lightning 2 jet was then moved to the Air India Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar on Sunday.
Earlier, the UK government had said, 'The UK has accepted the offer of a space in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, and is in discussions to finalise arrangements with relevant authorities. In line with standard procedure, the aircraft will be moved following the arrival of UK engineers, who are carrying specialist equipment necessary for the movement and repair process.'
The British High Commission also thanked India for its support. 'We are working to repair the UK F-35B at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport as quickly as possible. We thank the Indian Authorities for their continued support,' a spokesperson said.
'The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams,' the statement added.
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The advanced stealth fighter jet produced by American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has drawn significant public attention and has even inspired quirky local marketing campaigns in the state of Kerala. The aircraft is currently under round-the-clock guard by personnel from India's Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and British personnel.
If the repairs cannot be completed on-site, the Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL)-capable aircraft may be dismantled and transported back to the UK using a military transport aircraft.
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