Secret behind F-35 not returning from Kerala: REALITY of UK's massive engineering and technology gaps revealed
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Secret behind F-35 not returning from Kerala: REALITY of UK's massive engineering and technology gaps revealed")
British F-35 fighter jet
The F-35, a stealth strike fighter is Britain's most advanced warplane programme but ironically the fleet is facing significant operational and financial shortfalls.
The British F-35 fighter jet that made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala has been grounded for close to a month due to a technical snag. However, it is likely to be repaired and flown back to the United Kingdom as early as next week, according to the Associated Press.
Citing an Indian official on the matter, the news agency reported that a team of 24 British engineers is working to fix the hydraulic failure that the fighter jet faced due to which it had to make an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
This is the first time that the US-made fighter jet is stranded in a foreign country due to technical issues.
Capability gaps in UK F-35 programme
The F-35, a stealth strike fighter is Britain's most advanced warplane programme but ironically the fleet is facing significant operational and financial shortfalls, according to a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO), reported the BBC.
According to NAO, the £11bn spent so far on procuring the fighter planes has been a "disappointing return". And now, the estimated plans to expand the fleet would cost Ministry of Defence (MoD) over three times the initial cost.
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The NAO further said that the project has been hampered by poor availability, engineering shortfalls and delays to weapons integration.
"The capability benefits are not being fully realised due to delays, infrastructure gaps and personnel shortages," read the NAO statement.
Out of the 138 aircraft to be purchased by UK, the MoD has so far received only 38 F-35Bs, which means the full operating capability has slipped to the end of 2025, two years behind schedule.
American company Lockheed Martin makes the F-35s that are technologically superior to all previous UK fighter jets and are expected to remain in service until 2069.
