The United Kingdom is said to be planning to airlift its stranded F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft from Kerala, almost three weeks after it made an unscheduled landing in Thiruvananthapuram. The Royal Navy jet has stayed at the airport for 19 days since repeated attempts at on-field repairs failed.
The officials are now thinking of disassembling the jet and flying it back to the UK on a C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft.
Disassembling the F-35B: A High-Security Mission
To accommodate the F-35B inside the cargo bay of the C-17 Globemaster, engineers will have to disassemble the state-of-the-art aircraft partially. Lockheed Martin, the jet’s manufacturer, has certified and trained technicians who alone are authorised to dismantle the aircraft due to its extremely high-tech nature.
Each step of the dismantling process will be carried out under stringent security and close supervision by the British military. “Each step must be recorded and authenticated; each screw must be security-coded to reduce the risk of data loss,” said a source close to the issue. Stealth technology must be guarded, since any leakage would result in loss of combat edge and trigger serious diplomatic or military consequences.
History of F-35 Air Transport
The US Air Force has previously disassembled and flown an F-35 in a C-17. In fact, back in May 2019, the US Air Force disassembled the wing of an F-35 Lightning II for the first time and successfully flew it from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to Hill AFB in Utah. According to Eglin AFB’s official website, the project had been four years in the making and ultimately cost $200,000.
Why the F-35B is a Security Priority
The F-35B is one of the most advanced military planes in the world. With its stealth coating, radar-absorbing structure, encrypted systems, AI-driven sensors, and data fusion, it is an indispensable weapon in contemporary air warfare. It can also carry nuclear bombs, which makes securing its sensitive technology even more vital.
With an overall program price of over $1.7 trillion, the F-35 is still the most technologically advanced and costly military platform ever constructed. It’s the most deadly, survivable, and networked fighter aircraft on the planet, experts say, providing unparalleled dominance to pilots in all theaters of combat.
