HMS Prince of Wales: F-35B fighter jet flying from UK aircraft carrier emergency lands at civilian airport in India
An F-35 fighter jet flying from HMS Prince of Wales was forced to emergency land at an Indian airport.
An F-35B flying from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier made an unscheduled landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at around 9.30pm local time on 14th June. The aircraft was conducting routine flying in international airspace outside Indian Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ – designated airspace that a nation may demand all aircraft identify themselves and request permission to enter).
The UK-led Carrier Strike Group had recently conducted join exercises with the Indian Navy and Thiruvananthapuram airport was earmarked as the emergency recovery airfield for aircraft flying from the carrier. Once the pilot of the jet declared an emergency, the F-35B was detected and identified by the Indian Airforce’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) network and cleared for the recovery.
Local media suggested that bad weather around HMS Prince of Wales was the reason the jet had to divert. Monsoon season has come early and the Indian Ocean bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and sometimes thunderstorms.
According to Navy Lookout, even though India is a friendly nation, landing an F-35B fighter jet at a civilian airport with limited security measures is a last resort. The Indian Air Force says it is providing “all necessary support for the rectification and subsequent return of the aircraft”.