THIRUVANATHAPUURAM: The British Navy’s F-35 fighter aircraft, which remained grounded in Kerala with a hydraulic valve failure, since making an emergency landing on June 14, was on Monday seen being towed into a hangar at the Thiruvananthapuram airport here.
Officials said that the aircraft will not leave today and the exact date of its departure is yet to be confirmed.
On June 14, the aircraft operating from UK Aircraft Carrier, HMS Prince of Wales was undertaking a routine sortie outside Indian ADIZ when it requested to land at the Thiruvananthapuram airport, which was earmarked as the emergency recovery airfield.
The Indian Air Force provided all required support and assisted in the process, including in refuellingA 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.
The aircraft developed a hydraulic failure, and possibly, it would be taken back in a military transport aircraft, defence officials said on June 14.
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.
Earlier, the Indian Navy and the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG25) conducted a joint naval drill, commonly known as a Passage Exercise (PASSEX), in the western Arabian Sea.
This marked the UK Strike Group’s “first major engagement” after entering the Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)
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