F35 fighter jet of UK leaves Kerala after being stranded for five weeks and inspiring memes and ridicule
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "F35 fighter jet of UK leaves Kerala after being stranded for five weeks and inspiring memes and ridicule")
British fighter jet F35 leaving Kerala airport and one of the memes it inspired are shown in this combination photo Photograph: (Others)
The British Royal Navy F-35B left for Australia after getting clearance from a team that had completed maintenance work.
After inspiring memes, scorn, ridicule and even a Kerala Tourism marketing campaign, a British F-35 fighter jet that was grounded in the south Indian state for five weeks took off on Tuesday (July 22). The British Royal Navy F-35B left for Australia after getting clearance from a team that had completed maintenance work. After being declared fit to fly, the jet was moved out of the hangar on Monday.
"A UK F-35B aircraft, which landed following an emergency diversion on June 14, departed today from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. A UK engineering team, deployed since July 6 completed the repairs and safety checks, allowing the aircraft to resume active service," said a British High Commission spokesperson.
"The UK remains very grateful for the support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams throughout the repair and recovery process. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our defence partnership with India,” the spokesperson added.
British F-35 jet took off for Australia
The F35 aircraft, known to cost $110 million and equipped with advanced stealth technolog, departed at 10:50 am local time and headed to Darwin, Australia, airport sources told news agency PTI.
No official reason was given as to why it was flying to Australia. But the HMS Prince of Wales, the UK Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier to which the F35 belonged, is in the area.
HMS Prince of Wales has been conducting joint exercises off the Australia coast.
How F-35 jet made emergency landing in Kerala
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The ordeal of the elite fighter jet started on June 14 when it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport following a suspected hydraulic issue while doing maneuvers in the Indo-Pacific. The jet, deployed on the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, was doing a routine sortie in the Arabian Sea when bad weather forced it to make the landing.
Upon inspection, it was seen that the aircraft had issues with both its hydraulic system and auxiliary power unit. A team arrived from the UK and spend days repairing the plane.
Initially, engineers from the aircraft carrier visited the jet and tried to repair it. They were unable to do so. Two weeks ago, the British defence ministry sent a team of 14 engineers to the Kerala airport who eventually made it flight-worthy again.
