A U.K. Royal Navy F‑35B, en route from the HMS Prince of Wales to Australia, made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala on June 14 due to low fuel and a hydraulic failure . The jet remained on Indian soil for over 35 days while a 24‑member U.K./RAF technical team - along with Lockheed Martin experts - undertook extensive repairs in a local Air India hangar.

Indian defence and airport authorities, including the IAF and CISF, provided vital support and security throughout the incident. Meanwhile, Kerala’s tourism board humorously welcomed the grounded warplane, even crafting an AI-generated “five-star review” starring the jet .

By July 21, engineers declared the aircraft airworthy after resolving the hydraulic fault. The jet was positioned for a trial sortie and is now departing for Darwin, Australia, to rejoin the carrier strike group.

This episode underscores close U.K.–India defence cooperation and highlights logistical challenges faced when state-of-the-art military assets land unexpectedly abroad.