 "Will UK dismantle and airlift the F-35B jet that has been stranded in Kerala for 3 weeks?")
News of a British F-35 jet stranded in Kerala has hit headlines over the past few weeks.
The F-35B Lightning II fighter jet belonging to the British Royal Navy was forced to make an emergency landing at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14.
The F-35B is a state-of-the-art fighter plane that costs around $109 million.
However, despite weeks having passed, the fighter plane remains grounded.
Now, Britain wants its F-35 back. But how is it planning to take back the craft?
Let’s take a closer look:
How Britain is planning to take its F-35 back
Britain is sending a team of specialists to India to repair the craft.
The engineers are said to be on route from the United Kingdom.
The UK is sending its engineers with ‘specialised tools’.
This is because India has no F-35s and thus lacks the necessary equipment and expertise to repair it.
Sources have said that aircraft will likely be dismantled and shipped back to the UK.
Britain is considering sending a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft to repatriate the jet.
This American-made vehicle is likely the only heavy duty aircraft that can ferry the F-35 back to the UK.
In the meantime, the UK is paying India parking and hangar charges to let the jet remain at the airport.
Source said the jet was being prepared to be moved to a private hangar.
“UK F-35B aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after developing an engineering issue. The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facility at the airport," an Indian official said.
“The aircraft will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, thereby ensuring there is minimal disruption to scheduled maintenance of other aircraft," he said.
What happened
The F-35 had been taken off from the HMS Prince of Wales – an aircraft carrier belonging to the UK Royal Navy – during a routine naval exercise.
The jet was outside India’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) when it declared an emergency due to adverse weather conditions.
The jet was spotted by IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS).
The IACCS immediately rerouted to Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport .
“A Royal Navy F-35B fighter was recovered following an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of June 14. The IAF is providing all necessary support for the rectification and subsequent return of the aircraft,” the IAF posted on X.
Defence officials said the aircraft initially landed because it was low on fuel.
However, it was diagnosed with a hydraulic failure after it landed.
The pilot is said to have refused to leave the craft, one of the most advanced in the world, on landing.
However, the pilot was picked up the next day by a Royal Navy helicopter and returned to the HMS Prince of Wales.
“A UK F-35 aircraft was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales due to adverse weather conditions. Prioritising safety, the aircraft diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in India, where it landed safely. The aircraft has subsequently developed an engineering issue whilst on the ground which precluded its return to the Carrier,” a statement from the UK High Commission read.
India’s initial offer to move to the F-35 to a hangar had been rejected by the UK.
This was out of fears of that its sensitive technology could potentially fall into the wrong hands.
A brief look at F-35
The F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter plane.
The long-range supersonic fighter is one of the world’s most advanced aircrafts.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, its developed was aided by nine different nations.
These include United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia.
The F-35 is a single-seater, single-engine plane.
It is powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135 – the world’s most powerful engine.
It can hit a Mach speed of 1.6.
It has a fuel capacity of 18,498 pounds and can carry a payload of 8,160 kg.
It has a range of 2172 kilometes.
It has a maximum operating altitude of over 50,000 feet.
It has multiple variants – the F-35A, the F-35B and the F-35C.
The F-35B is known as the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant.
It is designed to operate from aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships.
Regardless of the variant, the F-35 is one of the most experienced and lethal weapons any country can have.
Many have referred to it as the ‘Quarterback in the Sky’.
It is the most expensive fighter plane ever designed.
The cost of a single F-35 over its lifetime is estimated to be over a trillion dollars.
Though the US has made noises about selling the F-35 to India, New Delhi has ventured on its own programme to develop and indigenous fifth-gen craft – the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The ACMA is being designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The project’s initial cost has been estimated at Rs 15,000 crore.
However, it is important to note that the ACMA has been in the pipeline since 2010.
It will likely be years before it will be operational.
With inputs from agencies
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