The aircraft had taken off for a training mission from the aircraft carrier, which was anchored 100 nautical miles off the coast.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Royal Navy's F-35 B stealth fighter jet, which made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on Sunday, continues to remain grounded.
The jet was part of the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group. Initially, it was reported that the British fighter jet was forced to land in Thiruvananthapuram because of low fuel. However, experts say that fuel may not be the sole reason as it would have flown out after refuelling.
The aircraft had taken off for a training mission from the aircraft carrier, which was anchored 100 nautical miles off the coast. The F-35B, a fifth-generation fighter jet, was piloted by only one person during the training flight.
Experts do not rule out the possibility of some technical snag that has led to the grounding of the aircraft for the last five days. Efforts are underway to sort out the suspected technical snag and facilitate the return of the aircraft to HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier.
Experts say the aircraft, which is one of the most expensive jets belonging to the fifth-generation stealth fighter planes, can only be serviced in a highly secure environment.
On June 15 the Indian Air Force tweeted'``IAF is providing all necessary support for the rectification and subsequent return of the aircraft."
Experts also say it could be a peculiar snag. A team that reportedly arrived a couple of days ago, examined the aircraft. If it were a simple snag, they would have rectified and resolved it by now.
While there are no details available on the nature of the snag, experts say that in such advanced fighter jets, to rectify the technical issues, you may require specialised spares, jacks and cranes which may not be available here. Bringing in the specialised equipment may also require certain mandatory clearances from the government, and this process can take days.
