38 days after an emergency touchdown in India, the repaired F-35B has taken off once more, reportedly enroute to hitch HMS Prince of Wales.
The British F-35B from the HMS Prince of Wales plane service which was stranded at Thiruvananthapuram airport, in India’s southern state of Kerala, lastly took off once more on July 22, 2025. The plane has been grounded there since Jun. 14, 2025, reportedly after dangerous climate that prevented a secure touchdown on the service and later growing a hydraulic snag.
A 14-member engineering group arrived from the UK on Jul. 7 aboard an RAF A400M, after personnel from the RN’s flagship service couldn’t handle the problem. A visible launched by ANI confirmed the cargo plane departing Thiruvananthapuram the identical day.
After 38 days on floor, @RoyalNavy F-35 lastly takes off. Farewell & completely satisfied landings! pic.twitter.com/8XmuzKoiuN
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) July 22, 2025
A day earlier, BBC quoted airport officers saying that “the plane is confirmed to be airworthy.” Deccan Herald quoted one other official in deep background who mentioned “It’s being introduced out of the hangar now. The jet will probably be dropped at our bay, and it’ll fly again on Tuesday.”
In line with unconfirmed studies, the plane could be enroute again to the UK, whereas others, citing airport sources, point out the jet it’s on its technique to be part of once more the service air wing. The HMS Prince of Wales is at present coaching with the U.S. and Australian navies throughout Train Talisman Sabre 25 in Australia.
Indian media revealed a press release from a spokesperson for the British Excessive Fee:
“A UK F-35B plane, which landed following an emergency diversion on June 14, departed at the moment from Thiruvananthapuram Worldwide Airport. A UK engineering group, deployed since July 06 accomplished the repairs and security checks, permitting the plane to renew lively service.
The UK stays very grateful for the assist and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport groups all through the restore and restoration course of.”
BREAKING ⚠️
A @RoyalNavy F-35B made an emergency touchdown this morning on the Thiruvananthapuram airport. The F-35 is from the HMS Prince of Wales plane service that’s within the Arabian Sea on deployment. (Photograph/@the_hindu) pic.twitter.com/tSYxh80EbI
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) June 15, 2025
Beforehand there was hypothesis that the plane would have needed to be dismantled and transported again to the UK aboard a C-17 Globemaster III.
The plane service sailed from Britain in April for the Provider Strike Group 25 (CSG25) deployment, designated Operation Highmast. The Provider Air Wing aboard HMS Prince of Wales hosts 24 F-35Bs each from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Drive, as is the follow between the 2 companies to collectively function their Lightning IIs.
The plane belong to the 617 Squadron and 809 NAS (Naval Air Squadron). The F-35B grounded in India bears the modex 034 and serial ZM168, which identifies it as one of many plane assigned to the RAF’s 617 Squadron “Dambusters.”
UPDATE: A group of UK engineers has arrived in India to start repairs on the UK F35B plane. Repairs are underway on the plane, which has now been moved to the upkeep hangar. We’re grateful for the continued assist and collaboration of the Indian authorities. 🇬🇧🤝🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WD0pmkiLNH
— UK Defence in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKDefenceIndia) July 7, 2025
Royal Air Drive F-35B in India
The F-35B was conducting a routine flight outdoors India’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) when it declared an emergency reportedly because of opposed climate circumstances which prevented a touchdown on the service. The selection of Thiruvananthapuram airport shouldn’t be informal because it was already earmarked because the emergency restoration airfield throughout current joint workout routines with the Indian Navy.
The jet initially coordinated with the IAF’s Built-in Air Command and Management System (IACCS) searching for permission for an emergency touchdown. The IAF, after granting approval, transferred the steering to the Thiruvananthapuram ATC (Air Visitors Management). It’s unclear when the jet developed the hydraulic concern that stored it on the bottom.
Within the little over a month that the STOVL (Brief Take-Off Vertical Touchdown)-capable Lightning II has been in India, the plane, nonetheless carrying an ASRAAM (Superior Brief-Vary Air-to-Air Missile) on its proper wing, was parked within the open beneath surveillance by the Indian army. The primary group from the Royal Navy, introduced in by a Merlin Mk 4 helicopter, couldn’t restore the plane. In the meantime, safety causes have been cited for not shifting the F-35B contained in the hangars.
Studies quoted a press release by the British Excessive Fee on Jun. 26, 2025, stating that the plane can be moved to a Upkeep Restore Overhaul (MRO) hangar forward of the arrival of the 14-member group within the A400M on Jul. 7. NDTV not too long ago reported that the jet was lastly relocated to a hangar on Jul. 6.
🔴#BREAKING | #Watch: UK F-35 jet, stranded in Kerala, out of hangar; Jet to depart India on Tuesday
📹: ANI/X pic.twitter.com/tJ5kYTq2CG
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 21, 2025
It’s being reported that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) would additionally cost the UK parking charges for the jet, within the vary of Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 a day (128 GBP to 171 GBP), as per The Indian Specific. This additionally contains touchdown charges for each the F-35B and the A400M, pegged within the vary of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh (859-1,718 GBP). “Air India will repair the price for utilizing their Upkeep, Restore and Overhaul (MRO) facility on the airport,” an official instructed TIE.
Technical snag
There are conflicting studies on whether or not the opposed climate and low gas preceded the hydraulic failure, or the opposite approach spherical. Native media recommended that dangerous climate was the rationale because the monsoon season has come early, with sudden squalls that deliver robust winds, heavy rain and, generally, even thunderstorms.
Whereas the F-35B is an all-weather day and evening succesful fighter, touchdown on an plane service can solely be finished inside exact climate limits to make sure security. That is very true for the F-35B which has to carry out a vertical touchdown when recovering on the service, as it could be much more affected by the robust winds and poor climate on the whole.
UPDATE: Following completion of repairs and security checks, the UK F-35B plane at the moment departed from Thiruvananthapuram Worldwide Airport, resuming lively service. We’re grateful for all of the assist from the Indian authorities 🇬🇧🤝🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/4yMJzwkD6w
— UK Defence in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKDefenceIndia) July 22, 2025
Concerning the hydraulic drawback, the hydraulic system of the F-35 is an evolution in comparison with older varieties, centered on survivability and ease of maintainability because of using new applied sciences reminiscent of Electro-Hydrostatic Actuators. Nevertheless, some techniques – such because the roll management nozzles in STOVL mode – nonetheless want “conventional” hydraulic techniques to work.
It’s unclear which sort of hydraulic drawback was discovered on the jet. Nevertheless, it’s doable that it affected the protection of flight or prevented the touchdown again on the service.
Beforehand, the CSG21 led by HMS Queen Elizabeth witnessed an F-35B crash within the Mediterranean Sea on Nov. 17, 2021. The jet, with open raise fan door and nozzle pivoted downward, rolled down the ski bounce at very low velocity (a lot decrease than regular), earlier than actually falling off the service for lack of sufficient thrust/raise.
The pilot ejected safely and the wreckage was later recovered with the assist of Italy and america. In an unique story revealed by The Solar on Nov. 23, 2021, the trigger was recognized as a crimson plastic rain cowl, which was imagined to be eliminated earlier than flight.
UK and India
Whereas India and the UK do not need strong protection ties, their strategic partnership has been on the upswing over the previous couple of years. They’ve held workout routines just like the biennial Ajeya Warrior military drills, with the newest iteration going down in 2023 on the Salisbury Plain within the UK, the Indradhanush air drive drills and the Konkan naval workout routines.
British Airforce A-400M left the Kerala Airport after leaving technical group for restore of F-35B.
Considered one of good alternative for IAF MTA Program as Tata is already making C-295 in India.
pic.twitter.com/cAj9hZFPHP
— Vivek Singh (@VivekSi85847001) July 6, 2025
After CSG25 entered the IOR (Indian Ocean Area), the service additionally carried out a PASSEX (Passage Train) with the Indian Navy within the western Arabian Sea, marking its “first main engagement” on this a part of the world. Moreover, New Delhi sees London as an extension of the Western alliance together with the US, France and Japan it maintains ties with, whereas balancing its far deeper, older and conventional strategic ties with Russia.
#INSTabar with submarine and P8I plane of #IndianNavy participated in a Passage Train within the North Arabian Sea on 09 and 10 Jun 25 with HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Richmond from UK Provider Strike Group @COMUKCSG.
The multi-faceted naval train included unified management of… pic.twitter.com/DUUt8KikL0
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) June 11, 2025
That is one purpose Indian diplomats unofficially cite for not contemplating the F-35 for its air drive. The attendant obligations to align the nation’s international coverage with the U.S. upon buy of main capital techniques, would damage its relationship with Russia. That is beside the excessive value and logistical constraints that IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has typically implied whereas explicitly denying any curiosity within the fifth technology jet.
