SOURCE: AFI
A Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet, valued at over $110 million and known as one of the most expensive fighter jets in terms of development cost, has been towed to a hangar at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, India, after being grounded on the tarmac for three weeks due to a technical malfunction. British technicians have been working tirelessly to diagnose and repair the issue, but the jet’s complex systems have posed significant challenges.
In a bid to resolve the situation, a fresh team of specialized engineers has arrived from the UK aboard an Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft. The team is now assessing whether the F-35B can be repaired on-site or if it will need to be dismantled and transported back to the UK inside a C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft. The decision hinges on the extent of the repairs required and the feasibility of conducting them locally.
The F-35B, a short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, is a critical asset for the Royal Navy, designed for operations from aircraft carriers and austere bases. Its prolonged grounding in India has drawn attention to the challenges of maintaining such advanced stealth aircraft in remote locations. The outcome of the ongoing repair efforts will determine whether the jet can return to service from Kerala or require a complex and costly journey home.
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