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Key Points

A British F-35B stealth fighter jet, grounded in Kerala for five weeks, is finally set to depart. The aircraft, part of the UK's HMS Prince of Wales, faced a hydraulic fault mid-flight and made an emergency landing. The Indian Air Force provided support while a UK technical team carried out repairs. Kerala’s tourism department humorously joked about the jet’s extended "stay," sparking viral memes.

Key Points: British F-35B Fighter Jet Set to Depart Kerala After 5-Week Grounding

  • British F-35B grounded in Thiruvananthapuram due to hydraulic fault
  • UK RAF team repaired the 5th-gen stealth jet
  • Indian Air Force assisted with emergency landing and refueling
  • Viral memes joked about the jet "stuck" in Kerala rains
2 min read

F35B fighter jet prepares to leave Kerala after being grounded for 5 weeks

A UK F-35B stealth jet stranded in Thiruvananthapuram due to hydraulic failure prepares to fly back after repairs.

"Kerala, the destination you'll never want to leave – Kerala Tourism Department"

Thiruvananthapuram, July 21

A British F-35B fighter jet, which was grounded in Kerala's capital city of Thiruvananthapuram since June 14 due to a hydraulic system fault is likely to fly back soon.

Latest visuals showed the British Navy aircraft, part of the UK Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. An official confirmation is awaited.

The fighter jet was on out on a routine sortie when it developed a snag and could not land on the ship. The plane reached the Thiruvananthapuram airport, which was designated as the emergency recovery airfield, and requested emergency landing permission.

The Indian Air Force provided all required support and assisted in the process, including in refuelling

A technical team of the UK Royal Air Force had arrived to repair it and the 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft was parked at the Bay in the airport for many days. It was later moved to Air india hanger where a team from the UK were brought to repair the fighter jet.

F-35Bs are highly advanced stealth jets, built by Lockheed Martin, and are prized for their short take-off and vertical landing capability.

Images of the "lonely F-35B", parked on the tarmac and soaked by the Kerala monsoon rains, spawned memes on social media.

The Kerala Tourism Department was the first to share an image of the aircraft on social media X with a humorous caption, "Kerala, the destination you'll never want to leave", and this was quickly followed by similar posts from Milma (Kerala's dairy cooperative), the Kerala Police, the State AIDS Control Society, and several private organisations.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Kerala tourism's tweet was hilarious! 😂 Only Malayalis can find humor in such situations. But seriously, why did it take 5 weeks to repair? Shouldn't such advanced jets have better maintenance systems?
R
Rohit P
The memes were epic! But on serious note - this shows our airport infrastructure can handle advanced military aircraft. Good exposure for our technical staff too. When will India get F-35s for our forces?
S
Sarah B
As someone who lived in Trivandrum for 3 years, I'm not surprised the jet didn't want to leave! The city's beauty and hospitality are unmatched. Jokes aside, great cooperation between Indian and British forces.
V
Vikram M
While the situation was handled well, I hope proper security protocols were followed. A foreign military aircraft on our soil for 5 weeks - was there adequate monitoring of the repair activities?
K
Kavya N
The image of the jet in monsoon rains was so poetic! 🌧️ Kerala's weather even made a stealth fighter look dramatic. On serious note, hope the repair bill was paid properly - these jets cost crores!

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