Overview

• A Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas delivered 24 UK engineers and defence specialists to Thiruvananthapuram on July 6 to inspect the grounded F-35B.
• The £85 million stealth fighter was towed into an Air India MRO hangar after Britain accepted India’s offer of dedicated maintenance space.
• Engineers have begun a detailed examination of the jet’s hydraulic systems to assess if on-site repairs can restore flight capability.
• British authorities are preparing to partially dismantle the aircraft and airlift it on a C-17 Globemaster if local fixes prove unfeasible.
• The operation highlights the complexities of sustaining fifth-generation fighters abroad and deepening UK-India defence logistics cooperation.