An engineering team from the United Kingdom arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala to assess and repair the British Royal Navy’s F-35B fighter jet, which made an emergency landing on June 14 and had been stranded there for more than three weeks.
Around noon, a Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft landed in Thiruvananthapuram with the engineering team. Subsequently, the fighter jet was towed to the hangar after the UK accepted the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the airport. After its emergency landing on June 14, the fighter jet was given security cover by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) commandos. The Airbus returned, but the engineering team will continue at the airport.
A UK High Commission spokesperson confirmed the deployment of the engineering team to assess and repair the F-35B aircraft. “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. The UK engineers are carrying specialist equipment necessary for the movement and repair process,’’ said the spokesperson.
“The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams.”
Earlier, the High Commission had stated that the aircraft would return to active service once repairs and safety checks had been completed. At the same time, sources stated that they will not provide details on timelines, repair and maintenance matters, or private discussions with the Government of India.
The F-35B from the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales made the landing in Thiruvananthapuram when it was undertaking a routine flight outside the Indian air defence identification zone, which is a designated area of airspace extending beyond a country’s sovereign territory. Thiruvananthapuram was designated as the emergency recovery airfield, a location where aircraft can land in the event of an in-flight emergency.
Subsequently, the integrated air command and control system, a central command and control system that enables the Indian Air Force to monitor and manage air operations, detected the British fighter jet and authorised the aircraft to land after it had been diverted due to an emergency.