Stranded Royal Navy F-35 jet may be moved to hangar

T'puram: The Royal Navy F-35 fighter jet continues to be stranded at Thiruvananthapuram airport as engineers from its aircraft carrier have failed to repair a hydraulic snag. A team is staying at the airport and is continuing the repairs.

There is a move to shift the jet to the hangar as it may have to be here for a long time until a team from the UK and the US can check it. There are rumours that it was supposed to be moved to the hangar, but the British Navy authorities are not in favour of it.

Sources said that different teams of technicians keep coming every other day to check the plane, but they are not able to fix the snag. "Engineers from the UK may come in the coming days," said an official.

The plane is parked in bay 4. "We have enough bays to handle commercial aircraft. The presence of the fighter jet is not an issue," said an airport official.

This is the first time that the US-made, most sophisticated fighter jet is stranded in a foreign country. It is part of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. The aircraft carrier, which leads the Carrier Strike Group 25 on its way for its deployment in the Indo-Pacific, carried out at-sea exercises along with the Indian Navy last week.

Meanwhile, a news agency report said the aircraft was awaiting a team of engineers from Lockheed Martin, the jet's American manufacturer, to resolve a persisting technical snag.

The F-35 is renowned for its short take-off and vertical landing capabilities, allowing it to operate from aircraft carriers and short runways. Despite its cutting-edge design, the ongoing issue has left British officials perplexed.

The jet continues to attract curious onlookers and aviation enthusiasts — though all have been advised to keep their distance from the restricted zone. The jet's exposure to persistent monsoon rain has, meanwhile, raised concerns about potential weather-related complications. (With inputs from agencies)