Nineteen days after a British F-35B stealth fighter jet made an emergency landing at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, the aircraft remains grounded as engineers struggle to resolve a persistent technical issue. In a rare and logistically complex move, the United Kingdom is now exploring the possibility of airlifting the state-of-the-art jet aboard a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, according to NDTV.
The F-35B, a fifth-generation fighter built by Lockheed Martin and capable of short take-offs and vertical landings (STOVL), diverted to Kerala on June 15 after failing to return to HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier currently deployed in the Indo-Pacific region. The British High Commission later confirmed that “adverse weather conditions” had forced the aircraft to abandon its return to the ship and land in India.
While the pilot landed safely, the jet has since developed what UK authorities described as an “engineering issue” that has grounded it indefinitely. According to sources familiar with the matter, attempts to conduct field repairs have not resolved the problem, prompting the Royal Navy to send a team of specialist engineers from the UK. These experts arrived equipped with diagnostic and repair tools, but the issue remains unresolved.
In coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF), airport authorities are now preparing to shift the jet into a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hangar within the airport premises. The aircraft has been under constant security watch since it landed.
A Royal Navy AW101 Merlin helicopter extracted the pilot the day after the landing and returned him to the Prince of Wales. Sources also said that the fighter was low on fuel at the time of diversion, increasing the urgency of the emergency landing.
The F-35 program is the most expensive military aviation project in history, with over 800,000 cumulative flying hours logged globally. The aircraft has seen combat in the Middle East and is a key component of NATO and allied air power.
The British High Commission has not provided a timeline for recovery but said efforts are underway to minimize disruption to civil aviation operations at the airport.