UK fighter jet departs from India after five weeks wait
(MENAFN) A British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet that was stuck in India for over five weeks has finally departed for Australia, UK officials confirmed.
The $110 million aircraft, part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, had been operating in the Indo-Pacific and took part in joint drills with the Indian Navy. On June 14, it made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in southern India due to a hydraulic system failure.
After the emergency, the jet remained grounded while a UK engineering team was dispatched to conduct repairs. The team arrived on July 6 and successfully completed the necessary fixes and safety inspections, according to a spokesperson from the British High Commission, as reported by a media organization.
Initially, the British High Commission had stated the jet would be moved to an Air India maintenance hangar once the required equipment and experts were flown in. Multiple repair attempts followed, and at one point, British officials considered airlifting the fighter back to the UK on a C-17 Globemaster transport plane.
With repairs now complete, the F-35 has resumed active duty and continued its mission toward Australia.
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