After 22 days of being stranded in the open, the British Royal Navy’s F-35B stealth fighter jet that made an emergency landing in Kerala has finally been moved to a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The relocation comes as a team of British and American engineers arrived to assess the jet and determine repair options.
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The F-35B, valued at over $110 million and part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, made an emergency landing on June 14 due to severe weather and a subsequent hydraulic snag. It was guided safely to the runway by India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) around 9:30 pm. Though the landing was smooth, the aircraft developed a critical hydraulic system fault during post-landing checks, grounding it indefinitely.
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A team of 25 engineers from the British Royal Air Force arrived on Sunday aboard an RAF Airbus A400M Atlas. The specialists will now determine whether the jet can be fixed on-site or if it will require partial dismantling and airlifting back to the UK. The move to the hangar marks a critical step in accelerating the inspection and repair process, especially with the aircraft having remained parked in an open bay during Kerala’s monsoon season.
Initial attempts by a three-member Royal Navy unit to resolve the fault had failed, prompting the UK to send a larger team with Lockheed Martin-trained technicians. However, the team’s deployment was delayed, extending the aircraft’s stay in India.
The British High Commission has expressed appreciation for the cooperation extended by Indian authorities. A spokesperson said, “The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams.”
A six-member detachment from the HMS Prince of Wales continues to guard the aircraft alongside CISF personnel. Discussions between Indian authorities and British engineers are ongoing to finalise further steps.
The F-35B is the only variant of the fifth-generation stealth fighter capable of short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL), enabling it to operate from aircraft carriers and short-runway airbases. The jet was conducting a routine sortie in the Indo-Pacific region when it encountered severe weather and low fuel, prompting the emergency landing.
While the fighter jet’s presence has generated curiosity and online buzz—including viral posts and memes—its technical issues highlight the operational complexity of advanced military aviation platforms in unpredictable environments. With the aircraft now sheltered and under expert inspection, a clearer picture of its serviceability is expected to emerge in the coming days.
