Though the aircraft landed safely, a technical issue has since rendered it unable to fly back to the Royal Navy’s flagship carrier. Engineers from HMS Prince of Wales assessed the aircraft, but have so far been unable to resolve the fault.
On Thursday, the British High Commission told the BBC that the UK had accepted India’s offer to move the jet to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport. “It will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, thereby ensuring there is minimal disruption to scheduled maintenance of other aircraft,” the statement added.
Kerala, the destination you’ll never want to leave.
Thank you, The Fauxy.#F35 #Trivandrum #KeralaTourism pic.twitter.com/3lei66a5T2
— Kerala Tourism (@KeralaTourism) July 2, 2025
The Commission confirmed that, “The aircraft will return to active service once repairs and safety checks have been completed.” It also emphasised that, “Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed.”
Airport authorities in Thiruvananthapuram said they expected British technicians to arrive on Saturday. Meanwhile, the jet remains under 24-hour guard by six Royal Air Force officers to ensure its protection.
The issue has also reached the UK Parliament, where Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty raised concerns on Monday, as reported by the UK Defence Journal. He asked, “What steps are the government taking to recover the plane, how much longer will that take, and how will the government ensure the security of protected technologies on the jet while it is in the hangar and out of view?”
India is not for Beginners 😂🔥🔥
Indians put Royal Navy’s #F35B stealth fighter jet for sale on OLX, which has been grounded in Kerala’s #Thiruvananthapuram airport for 6 days. pic.twitter.com/bKLXosPNkp
— Rocket Singh Loki Head Chef @ Gryffindor भोजनालय (@DegreeWaleBabu) June 20, 2025
Responding in the House of Commons, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard reassured MPs that, “We continue to work with our Indian friends who provided first-class support when the F-35B was unable to return to the carrier.” He added, “I am certain that the security of the jet is in good hands because Royal Air Force crew are with it at all times.”
Dr Sameer Patil, director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, commented on the limited options available to the Royal Navy. “They can repair it and make it fly-worthy or they can fly it out in a bigger cargo plane such as a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft,” he said.
Dr Patil warned that the prolonged grounding of the jet may damage the image of the Royal Navy and the F-35 programme. “The jokes and memes and rumours and conspiracy theories are affecting the image and credibility of the British Royal Navy,” he stated, adding, “The longer the jet stays stranded, the more disinformation will come out.”
According to him, the engineering fault appears “of a much more serious nature” than initially understood. He questioned whether the Royal Navy had a standard operating procedure for such situations, saying, “So does the Royal Navy not have an SOP?”
Dr Patil further remarked on the negative optics, asking, “If such a thing had happened in enemy territory, would they have taken this much time? This makes for very bad PR for a professional navy.”
Images of the jet sitting on the tarmac in the midst of Kerala’s monsoon rains have spread widely on social media, sparking a wave of humour. One viral meme joked that the aircraft was being sold online for $4m with features like “automatic parking, brand-new tyres, a new battery and an automatic gun to destroy traffic violators.”
Some users quipped that the F-35B had been in India long enough to deserve citizenship, while others joked India should start charging rent, preferably paid with the Kohinoor diamond. Kerala’s tourism department joined in on Wednesday, tweeting “Kerala, the destination you’ll never want to leave,” along with an AI-generated image of the jet framed by palm trees.
Despite the amusement, the incident has sparked real questions about contingency planning and the handling of advanced military hardware abroad. For now, the Royal Navy’s flagship stealth jet remains grounded, awaiting both repairs and answers.
Source: BBC.
