Secret defect now known to the world; F-35 fighter jet stuck in Thiruvananthapuram causing shame to US

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The US claims that the F-35 is the best fifth-generation fighter jet in the world. However, the F-35 purchased by England has been lying in Thiruvananthapuram for a week due to a malfunction. This F-35 has a serious hydraulic fault.

It is the most expensive stealth fighter. Each jet costs $115 million (Rs. 995 crore). Trump had expressed his willingness to provide F-35s to India during Modi's US visit in February.

The F-35 was grounded on Sunday. British engineers tried their best but to no avail. Engineers from the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, have to come from the US to fix the fault. This will take more than two weeks.

The US was embarrassed when the aircraft fault was covered in the international media and trolls. Even Social media posts went viral saying that the F-35 was being sold at a bargain price on OLX.

Apart from the US, 11 countries are using the F-35. Belgium, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Greece and Romania have placed orders. The US boasted that it was a miracle technology and would not be handed over to anyone else. However, everything led to embarrassment when the world saw the F-35 lying in Thiruvananthapuram.

Top Indian Air Force officials have collected information about the aircraft malfunction. India may think twice about buying the F-35 at such a high price. Even if India buys it, it will be fewer in number.

The US claims that the F-35 can fly at a speed of 1200 miles per hour, carry 8100 kg of weapons, and can evade radars. However, the Integrated Air Command System installed in Thiruvananthapuram detected the F-35 aircraft as soon as it entered Indian airspace. With this, the claim that the F-35 could fly by fooling radars has been refuted. Iran also claimed the other day that it had shot down an Israeli F-35 aircraft.

Previously denied fault revealed

The F-35 is capable of taking off and landing from a warship. This was the system that malfunctioned. The manufacturers had denied the information about the fault whenever it came out before. The secret was exposed with the F-35 getting stuck in Thiruvananthapuram.

Sukhoi 57E instead

• India may buy the Sukhoi 57E fighter jet that Russia is offering with source code instead of the F-35. The price is 690 crores.

• If the source code is obtained, the forces can modify the aircraft according to their needs and carry out maintenance on their own

"The F-35 design was broken at the requirements level, because it was required to be too many things to too many people. This made it an expensive & complex jack of all trades, master of none. Success was never in the set of possible outcomes. And manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones anyway. Will just get pilots killed."

- SpaceX CEO Elon Musk previously stated