A UK Royal Navy F‑35B stealth fighter jet, made by Lockheed Martin, has completed repairs in Kerala and is anticipated to depart by July 22–23, subject to clearance from India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence .

The fifth-generation aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on June 14 after running out of fuel and encountering hydraulic issues post-exercise in the Arabian Sea. Initially grounded on the tarmac for nearly two weeks, the jet was later moved into a hangar once a 40-member UK and Lockheed Martin engineering team arrived with specialized tools, and regained air-conditioned workspace protection.

The aircraft has successfully undergone maintenance and refuelling, followed by flight-system inspections. It’s currently awaiting administrative clearances. Meanwhile, it has gained unexpected fame on social media, with Kerala Tourism even jokingly featuring it in a viral five-star “review”—a nod to the state’s good-humor approach .

With the jet expected to return to its base aboard HMS Prince of Wales in the coming days, the episode highlights increasing India–UK defence cooperation, while testing India’s protocols for handling sensitive foreign military technology.