According to reports, the UK’s F-35 fighter jet, which has been stranded in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, for over a month due to technical issues, is paying ‘parking fees’ to the airport.
The British Royal Navy was transferred to a special location on July 6 so that British engineers could inspect it.
According to a CNBC-TV 18 report, the Indian Defence Research Wing (IDWR), the British jet’s daily parking costs are estimated to be Rs 26,261. This estimate places the parking cost for the 33 days since June 14 at around Rs 8.6 lakh.
British F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing in India
On July 6, a 24-member British Royal Air Force crew traveled to Thiruvananthapuram to examine and evaluate the British F-35B fighter plane that was still grounded after an emergency landing.
The team, which included 10 crew members and 14 technical experts, evaluated the stranded jet’s condition to decide whether it could be fixed locally or if it would need to be disassembled and shipped back to the UK.
UK’s F-35 fighter jet stuck in Kerala to finally fly home this week?
The fighter plane is expected to return to the UK this week, as previously reported. According to Indian sources cited by the Associated Press last week, engineers intend to fix the aircraft within the next few days so that it may return to the UK.
The jet is one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world and is valued at about $110 million. On June 14, a technical problem made the plane to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport when it was operating 100 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala.
The jet may need to be disassembled for transportation or transported intact utilising a sizable special aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster.
The Indian Air Force offered every assistance in resolving the problem and guaranteeing its return. However, during pre-departure checks, a hydraulic breakdown was discovered as the fighter jet was getting ready to return to its carrier. A small team from the Royal Navy made an unsuccessful attempt to fix the fault.
The F-35B is fit for ships, austere bases, and narrow decks because it is the only fifth-generation fighter jet with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities.