British F-35 Jet towed to hangar at airport in Kerala as team of 24 engineers arrive from UK

The British F-35 fighter jet that made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala has been grounded since June 14. Several attempts by the engineers of the aircraft to repair the hydraulic problem due to which the jet is stranded has failed so far. However, there seems some hope for one of the most lethal fighter jet as a maintenance team of 24 engineers from the United Kingdom have landed in India to fix the problem and take the jet home.

The 24-member team that includes 14 technical experts and 10 crew members from the British Royal Air Force will asses the condition of the jet and take a decision on whether to repair the aircraft or dismantle it and take it back on the C-17 Globemaster, a large military transport aircraft.

Meanwhile, the jet has been moved to a designated facility for the aviation engineers to take a look at it.

"A UK engineering team has deployed to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to assess and repair the UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion. The UK has accepted the offer of a space in the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, and are in discussions to finalise arrangements with relevant authorities," said a British High Commission Spokesperson to the media.

"In line with standard procedure, the aircraft will be moved following the arrival of UK engineers, who are carrying specialist equipment necessary for the movement and repair process. The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams," the spokesperson further added.

Earlier, after attempts to fix the problem failed, the UK Royal Air force reportedly was thinking of partially dismantling and airlifting the jet back to the United Kingdom in a military cargo aircraft.

How did the jet get stranded

Operating from the United Kingdom’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on June 14, the fighter jet was conducting a routine flying outside India’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) when it was diverted to Thiruvananthapuram, the designated emergency recovery airfield for the aircraft.

Initially, the fighter jet was facing a problem of low fuel and the Indian Air Force provided all necessary help. But after it was readying for departure that the jet experienced problem with its hydraulics and therefore could not take off, said air force officials.

This is the first time that the US-made fighter jet is stranded in a foreign country due to technical issues.