Thiruvananthapuram, July 8 A team of top aviation engineers from the US and the UK are busy working to rectify the error that has left the British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet grounded at the international airport here since June 14.
It was on Sunday that the team from the UK and another team from Lockheed Martin -- the American manufacturer of the F-35 -- arrived here.
The first task they accomplished was to move the stranded jet, which was lying in the open on one side of the airport terminal, to the hangar.
Then they decided to ensure that none of the prying eyes had any sight of the state-of-the-art fighter jet, and not only was the entire area cordoned off, but they also covered the area from all sides.
Another reason to cover up from all sides was that the working personnel wanted a cool atmosphere, and the entire area is now air-conditioned, as the engineers are busy working on it.
The Plan B of the team is that if they fail to rectify the error, the fighter jet will be disassembled and then rolled into a cargo aircraft and flown back.
Renowned for its short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, the fifth-generation fighter -- part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group -- was returning from joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific when it was forced to land in Kerala’s capital city, last month.
While the arrival became news, and with every passing day, social media took over, the high-tech jet became the subject of viral jokes and memes.
The latest one that has gone viral is that if the jet remains in the state capital city, posters and advertisements will be pasted on it, much like any stationary object lying on the roads gets plastered all over.
Even Kerala Tourism included the rare moment in its campaign. In a post on X, it shared a message: "Kerala, the destination you will never want to leave. Thank you, The Fauxy." The post featured a spoof "review" attributed to the UK jet, "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend."
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