Brits Finally Get Their Errant $115M Jet Back

A British F-35B fighter jet stranded at an Indian airport for more than a month, sparking memes and cartoons on social media, took off Tuesday after being repaired by a team of UK engineers, an Indian official said. The $115 million stealth fighter, one of the world's most advanced, was grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in the southern state of Kerala due to technical snags, reports the AP. The aircraft had hydraulic issues and problems with its auxiliary power unit that have been fixed, said the Thiruvananthapuram official, who requested anonymity. The aircraft will fly to a British aircraft carrier in Darwin, Australia, the official said. The British High Commission and the UK's Ministry of Defense didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

The jet was on a regular sortie in the Arabian Sea in June when it ran into bad weather and couldn't return to the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales. The aircraft diverted to Thiruvananthapuram and landed safely on June 14. The stranded military aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, triggered AI-generated memes in India. A social media post by Kerala's tourism arm showed the plane on the tarmac surrounded by coconut trees, with a fictitious five-star review: "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend."

The top official at the department, K. Biju, said the post was in "good humor." "It was our way to appreciate and thank the Brits, who are the biggest inbound visitors to Kerala for tourism," Biju said. Another cartoon posted on X showed the plane enjoying snacks with a group of locals against a scenic background. There was speculation in India that the aircraft could be partially dismantled and transported in a cargo plane if repairs were unsuccessful.