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23h ago

Stranded UK F-35B Poised to Leave Kerala as Audit Flags £71 bn Cost Overrun and Readiness Gaps

Grounding since June 14 has exposed logistical, personnel, infrastructure shortfalls undermining the UK’s carrier strike capability.

British Royal Navy fighter jet, stranded for about a month due to a technical issue, is being moved to a designated facility at Thiruvananthapuram airport for assessment by British engineers.
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A British F-35B fighter jet, which has been stranded since June 14, 2025 is seen at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, in the southern state of Kerala, India, on June 26, 2025. (AP Photo)
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Overview

  • British engineers have been working in a secured hangar at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to fix a hydraulic fault and hope to fly the jet back next week.
  • The F-35B was diverted from HMS Prince of Wales on June 14 after bad weather and low fuel forced an emergency landing in Kerala.
  • Kerala’s tourism department and social media users have embraced the jet’s lengthy stay with AI-generated memes and promotional posts.
  • A National Audit Office report estimates the F-35 programme’s lifetime cost at about £71 billion, far exceeding the £18.8 billion forecast for the first 48 jets.
  • The NAO found fleet readiness running at roughly half of mission-capable targets and only one-third of full mission capabilities due to staffing and infrastructure gaps.