SOURCE: AFI
In a rare incident involving a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet on Indian soil, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed that a Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on the night of 14 June 2025. The aircraft was operating from the UK’s flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, which is currently deployed in the Indian Ocean Region.
According to the IAF, the F-35B was undertaking routine flying operations outside India’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) with Thiruvananthapuram designated as its emergency recovery airfield. Upon declaring an emergency and requesting diversion, the F-35B was detected and identified by the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), which subsequently cleared it for recovery.
The IAF further stated that it is providing full support for the technical rectification of the aircraft and its eventual return to HMS Prince of Wales or a UK-designated recovery point.
While the emergency landing itself did not raise alarms, it was the IAF’s assertion that the aircraft was “detected and identified by the IAF’s IACCS network” that sparked significant curiosity and debate within India’s defence community.
The Lockheed Martin F-35B is a fifth-generation, stealth-capable aircraft designed to evade most radar systems. Its minimal Radar Cross Section (RCS) is one of its core survivability features. Thus, the IAF’s ability to detect and identify the aircraft triggered speculation and discussions online and among analysts.
Some observers pointed out that during peacetime operations, especially while operating in foreign or neutral airspace, F-35s often fly with Luneburg lenses installed. These detachable radar reflectors deliberately increase the jet’s radar visibility, ensuring that friendly and civilian radar systems can track it more easily, reducing the risk of misidentification or airspace intrusion incidents. The use of such lenses is standard practice during ferry or training flights and particularly in allied airspace.
Others, however, speculated that the IAF’s detection capabilities may have reached a new threshold. They questioned whether India’s integrated air defence systems — especially the IACCS, which combines ground-based radars, AWACS, satellite feeds, and advanced data fusion — might have successfully picked up the F-35B even if the jet was operating in a lower-observable configuration.
India’s IACCS is a sophisticated, nationwide air surveillance and command network. Designed for real-time monitoring of Indian airspace, it integrates multiple sensor platforms and enables seamless coordination among IAF bases, missile defence systems, and radar stations. The system has seen significant upgrades in recent years, particularly in response to emerging regional threats and the growing presence of stealth-capable platforms in Asia.
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