The British warplane that had been stranded in India is finally set to depart. A related official confirmed that it is scheduled to take off on Tuesday (July 22), according to British news outlet BBC.
The official stated that the F-35B model aircraft is being taken out of the hangar on Monday and is expected to fly out the following day. “We don’t have further details,” the official added.
On June 14, the highly advanced aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in the Indian state of Kerala due to bad weather. However, a mechanical fault was discovered after landing. The aircraft’s prolonged five-week stay on foreign soil sparked various discussions in multiple forums. The issue was even raised several times in the British House of Commons regarding the jet, which is worth 110 million USD.
Meanwhile, the sight of the lone aircraft parked at Kerala airport has triggered online humor. Some netizens captioned its photo saying, “Kerala is so naturally beautiful — known as ‘God’s Own Country’ — that even a warplane doesn’t want to leave. That’s why it’s refusing to get repaired!”
The F-35B, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a highly advanced stealth jet capable of evading enemy radar and other detection systems. It features short take-off and vertical landing capabilities.
When the aircraft from the HMS Prince of Wales fleet couldn’t return, British Royal Navy experts were flown in on a carrier ship to repair it.
After nearly 15 days of unsuccessful repair attempts, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that a team of 14 engineers would be sent to repair the jet. If that team also failed, there were speculations that the aircraft would be dismantled and transported in parts.
For the past two weeks, the British High Commission in India has been in touch with the BBC regarding the F-35B but has declined to share updates on the repair progress.
