British F-35 leaves India eventually after 39 days grounded
(MENAFN) A British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet that was stranded in southern India for 39 days has finally departed for Australia, UK officials confirmed.
The $110 million aircraft, built by Lockheed Martin and part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, had been operating in the Indo-Pacific region following joint exercises with the Indian Navy. On June 14, the jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport due to a hydraulic system failure.
Repairs were delayed until a specialized team from the UK arrived. A spokesperson for the British High Commission told Mint that engineers, who had been on-site since July 6, completed the necessary fixes and safety inspections, enabling the aircraft to return to active duty.
Initially, UK authorities planned to move the jet to an Air India maintenance hangar once support equipment and personnel arrived. Several repair attempts were made, and at one point, the British considered airlifting the aircraft back to the UK using a C-17 Globemaster. Eventually, on July 6, the F-35B was towed to the hangar, and repairs were carried out with assistance from a 24-member RAF technical team.
The jet’s extended stay resulted in high costs due to landing and parking fees. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has encouraged India to consider purchasing F-35s, although some Indian military analysts believe the Russian Su-57 fighter jet might be a more suitable option.
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