Grounded British F-35B fighter jet in Kerala to be inspected by UK expert team

A team of 17 experts, including engineers from the British Air Force and Lockheed Martin, the aircraft manufacturer, reached Thiruvananthapuram to assess the grounded F-35B fighter jet.

Thiruvananthapuram: A team of 17 experts from United Kingdom have arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on July 6 to repair the British F-35B fighter jet that had to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport. The team includes engineers from the British Air Force and experts from Lockheed Martin, the company that manufactured the aircraft. 

If the fighter jet cannot be repaired and flown back, the team is prepared to dismantle the wings and transport it by cargo plane. Currently, the aircraft is at Air India's maintenance hangar at the airport. The aircraft had to make an emergency landing on June 14.

Aircraft will be moved

A British High Commission Spokesperson said that the UK has accepted the offer of a space in the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, and are 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 UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams,” they added.

The aircraft took off for training from the aircraft carrier Prince of Wales, anchored 100 nautical miles off the coast. Later, it tried to land back on the ship, but could not due to adverse weather conditions. Meanwhile, the aircraft's fuel started running low, and it had to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport. Following the incident, engineers from the aircraft carrier conducted an inspection, but could not fix the problem. The fighter jet was left stranded at the airport.

If the fighter jet cannot be repaired, it will be dismantled and transported in a British Air Force C-17 Globe Master-3, a large aircraft. The arrival of the expert team will clarify when the repair work on the F-35B will begin. If more complex repairs are required, a decision will be made to ship it.

The Globemaster is a standard heavy-lift cargo aircraft used by the UK, US, and Indian Air Forces. The aircraft, which can carry up to 77 tons, can carry up to two F-35 aircraft. However, the size of the F-35 is a challenge. The wings of the 14-meter-long and 11-meter-wide F-35B aircraft must be removed before it can be loaded onto the Globemaster. Although the Globemaster can carry cargo up to 26 meters long, it is only four meters wide.