72 hours on, a British Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet remains grounded at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The jet was forced to make an emergency landing after it suffered a “technical snag”, reports said.
The short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) jet was part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, which recently completed a joint exercise with the Indian Navy and is currently in the Indo-Pacific.
The aircraft diverted to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning after encountering low fuel levels.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had earlier confirmed it was assisting with the diversion.
The Navy described the incident as a “normal occurrence,” and said it was extending logistical support.
The F-35B is part of the most expensive and technologically sophisticated fighter jet programme in history.
Designed by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 programme spans multiple international partners and service branches.
The B variant, which the Royal Navy operates, is capable of short take-off and vertical landings.
The F-35 family, which includes the A, B, and C variants, has seen deployment across multiple theatres in recent months. What distinguishes it from older generations of fighters is its radar-evading capabilities and sensor fusion technology.
