Himalaya Harbinger, Uttarakhand Bureau
Kochi: An expert team from the UK arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Sunday to repair the British F-35B fighter jet, which has been grounded at the airport since June 14, an airport official said
The expert team, comprising 21 members including aviation engineers, landed at the airport around 1 pm in the Royal Air Force ZM417 aircraft, a type of Airbus A400M Atlas. “The aircraft, after dropping the expert team, is expected to fly back from the airport around 4 p.m. today,” the official said.
According to sources, the expert team will inspect the advanced stealth F-35B jet, belonging to the Royal Navy, and attempt to repair it and make it air-borne again. In case of failure to do so, British authorities are expected to partially dismantle the jet, under extreme secrecy, and airlift it—possibly in a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft.
The fighter jet made an emergency landing on the night of June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram Airport after reporting low fuel and adverse weather conditions during a routine sortie. The jet reportedly took off from the HMS Prince of Wales, the UK Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier. The Prince of Wales is part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, currently operating in the Indo-Pacific, which recently conducted a maritime exercise with the Indian Navy.
Upon landing, the fighter jet developed an engineering issue, preventing its return to the aircraft carrier. Engineers from the Prince of Wales inspected the aircraft and concluded that the support of a UK-based engineering team was needed.
“To minimise disruptions to regular airport operations, the aircraft will be moved to a space in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility hangar once specialist equipment and UK engineering teams arrive,” said a statement issued by the British High Commission in India earlier.
The safe landing, logistics and continuing security and organisational support provided by India in responding to this situation further demonstrates the close coordination and deepening relationship that exists between the Armed Forces of the UK and India,” it further read.
