'In fear of losing F-35 secrets'; Britain still refusing to move fighter jet to Indian hangar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The British fighter jet F-35 that made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport is refusing to be moved to the Indian hangar. The British Navy has not yet made efforts to take back the jet despite multiple requests from India.

It is believed that the British Navy is refusing to move the aircraft to the hangar to prevent the secrets of the stealth jet from being revealed.

As per national media reports, Britain is apprehensive of moving the jet to a hangar for fear of Indians getting know-how of the cutting-edge technical systems. If the aircraft's faults cannot be fixed in India, it will be taken to the UK. The F-35B aircraft will be transported on a military cargo plane.

An F-35B fighter jet, which took off from the British Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, landed in Thiruvananthapuram last Saturday. The Indian Navy and the British Navy were conducting a joint military exercise called PASSEX in the Arabian Sea. The aircraft was taking off from a warship as part of the exercise. Due to adverse weather conditions, the plane was unable to land. With fuel running out, the pilot sought permission to land in Thiruvananthapuram.

The plane's hydraulic system is faulty, and the return journey will only be possible after it is fixed. Two engineers who arrived from the aircraft carrier the previous day were unable to fix the fault. It is reported that experts from Britain will arrive soon to fix the serious fault in the hydraulic system.

The F-35I Adir fighter jet, a modified version of the F-35B manufactured by US defence company Lockheed Martin, is currently at the forefront of Israel's air strikes against Iran. This is a modified version of the F-35 with Israeli technology. In addition to Israel and the British Navy, the F-35 is also used by the British Royal Air Force and the US Marine Corps. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump announced his willingness to sell F-35 aircraft to India.