After being grounded for 22 days at Thiruvananthapuram airport, the British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet was finally shifted to a hangar on Sunday, following a prolonged technical standoff.
The stealth fighter, part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, made an emergency landing on June 14 after encountering bad weather and low fuel while operating 100 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. The Indian Air Force swiftly facilitated its safe landing and arranged for refuelling and logistics.
However, a hydraulic system failure discovered during pre-departure checks stalled the aircraft’s return. The glitch, considered serious, prevented safe take-off or landing. A Royal Navy team of technicians attempted repairs but couldn’t resolve the issue due to its complexity.
The F-35 remained parked at Bay 4, under tight security by the CISF. Initially, the British Navy declined Air India’s offer to shelter the jet in a hangar, despite Kerala’s heavy monsoon rains. They later relented, and on Sunday, the jet was finally towed indoors. A team of technical experts arrived aboard a Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas to assess the aircraft’s condition.
While grounded, the F-35B sparked a meme frenzy on Indian social media, becoming a viral icon with edits ranging from Bollywood dialogues to jokes about getting an Aadhaar card. Even Kerala Tourism joined the fun with a cheeky post.