The British Royal Navy’s F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, which made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14 (Saturday), has now developed a hydraulic system failure, defence officials confirmed on Friday (June 20). The issue has grounded the advanced stealth aircraft indefinitely, and the jet may need to be airlifted back to its home base using a military transport aircraft, they said.
Aircraft grounded despite initial emergency support
The F-35B, which was operating from the UK’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, was conducting routine operations outside India’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) when it experienced low fuel levels, prompting a diversion to its designated emergency recovery field at Thiruvananthapuram.
Upon landing, the Indian Air Force (IAF) promptly extended technical assistance and refuelling support. However, during preparations for its return flight, the fighter jet suffered a critical hydraulic failure and could not take off.
1st maintenance attempt unsuccessful; larger team expected
A technical team from the Royal Navy was dispatched to diagnose and resolve the issue, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Now, officials say, a larger and more specialised maintenance team is being mobilised to assess whether on-site repair is feasible.
"If the issue cannot be rectified locally, the aircraft may have to be airlifted back using a military transport aircraft,” a defence official stated.
Indian Air Force confirms IACCS network monitoring and support
The IAF confirmed the emergency diversion in a post on X (formerly Twitter), noting that the aircraft was detected and tracked by India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). The F-35B was then granted safe recovery clearance.
“IAF is providing all necessary support for the rectification and subsequent return of the aircraft,” the force stated.
Strategic importance of the incident
The grounded F-35B remains parked under tight security at Thiruvananthapuram airport, attracting significant public and media attention. The incident comes in the backdrop of increasing UK-India defence cooperation and maritime collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, where the HMS Prince of Wales is currently deployed as part of its strategic outreach.