British Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter remains grounded In Kerala
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New Delhi: More than 72 hours after emergency landing, the British Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet remains grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
The aircraft, belonging to the UK's HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, suffered a ‘technical snag’ leading to forced landing, according to NDTV.
It is however reported that the aircraft arrived in the airport on Sunday morning due to low fuel levels.
The short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) jet was currently operating in the Indo-Pacific following a series of joint exercises with the Indian Navy.
It will take longer than anticipated for the Royal Navy AW101 Merlin helicopter to return to sea-based operations.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) called the emergency landing a ‘normal occurrence’ while confirming it was extending logical support.
The F-35B is known to be the most expensive as well as technologically sophisticated fighter jet programme in history designed by Lockheed Martin.
The F-35 programme has multiple international partners and service branches with its B variant is known for its short take-off and vertical landings.
This feature allows the craft to fly from carriers that lack catapult systems.
The F-35 family with its variants including A, B and C has been deployed at several warzones in recent months with Israeli Air Force in particular using its F-35 fleet in precision operations over Iranian territory.
The F-35's radar-evading capabilities alongside advanced sensor fusion technology make it one of the world’s most sought-after aircraft.
Its capabilities apart, the aircraft is often subjected to scrutiny over its costs and technical glitches, especially issues related to its lift fan system and vertical landing mechanism.