A stealth fighter jet F-35B Lightning II from the Royal Air Force made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in southern India during the night between June 14 and 15. The information was released by the official account of the Indian Air Force on platform X.
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The aircraft, with tail number ZM168 and assigned to the 617th Squadron, was operating from the air wing of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, currently on a mission in the Indo-Pacific region. The flight was pre-planned and took place outside the Indian Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), near the coast of Thiruvananthapuram.
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According to unofficial sources cited by the British press, the emergency landing was necessary due to insufficient fuel to safely return to the aircraft carrier. Neither the aircraft nor the pilot suffered any damage, and the jet is now being prepared for a possible return to the ship.
Experts highlight that the F-35B is not equipped with external fuel tanks, which limits its combat radius and operational range. As a STOVL (short takeoff and vertical landing) variant, the F-35B typically takes off with reduced fuel capacity, especially during operations from ski-jump ramps like those on the HMS Prince of Wales.
This is one of the rare instances of a British F-35B performing an emergency landing, with most previous incidents having occurred due to technical failures.
Source and images: X @IAF_MCC | militarnyi. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
