British F-35 Recovery Shines Light on IAF’s Daring Mirage 2000 Ferry from Mauritius

The recent recovery of a British Royal Navy F-35B jet from Thiruvananthapuram, India, has captured global attention, not only for the technical challenges it posed but also for rekindling memories of a remarkable Indian Air Force (IAF) mission from 2004. The evacuation of the stranded F-35B, grounded for 38 days due to a hydraulic failure, draws striking parallels to the IAF’s audacious operation to ferry a damaged Mirage 2000 fighter jet from Mauritius back to India over two decades ago. This blog delves into both events, highlighting the courage, skill, and technical ingenuity displayed by the IAF in one of its most celebrated peacetime missions and the lessons learned from the F-35B recovery.

The British F-35B Incident: A Modern Challenge

On June 14, 2025, a British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet valued at approximately $120 million, made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, India. The jet, part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, was on a routine sortie over the Indian Ocean when adverse weather and low fuel forced it to divert from its carrier, located 100 nautical miles off Kerala’s coast. After landing safely, a subsequent inspection revealed a critical hydraulic system failure, grounding the aircraft.

The F-35B, renowned for its Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) capabilities, required specialized expertise for repairs. A team of British engineers arrived on July 6, working in a high-security hangar to address the issue. After 38 days of intensive efforts, the jet was repaired and cleared for takeoff, departing for Darwin, Australia, on July 22, 2025. The Indian Air Force provided crucial logistical support, including refueling, accommodation, and security, showcasing strong India-UK defense cooperation.

The prolonged grounding sparked online buzz, with memes and jokes circulating about the jet’s extended “Kerala vacation.” Some posts humorously suggested the jet was reluctant to leave “God’s own country,” while others speculated about its sale on online platforms for a fraction of its cost. Despite the lighthearted social media chatter, the incident underscored the complexities of maintaining advanced aircraft and the importance of international collaboration in resolving such challenges.

The IAF’s Mirage 2000 Mission: A Feat of Courage and Ingenuity

The F-35B’s recovery brought renewed attention to a lesser-known but extraordinary IAF operation in October 2004. An Indian Mirage 2000, a French-built multirole fighter, crash-landed at Sir Seewoosagur-Ramgoolam International Airport in Port Louis, Mauritius, after participating in an air show on October 4. The belly landing—unprecedented, as the Mirage 2000 is not cleared by its manufacturer, Dassault, for no-wheels landings—caused extensive damage to the aircraft’s underbelly auxiliary fuel tanks, airframe, avionics, and cockpit instrumentation. The jet was stranded in Mauritius for 22 days, presenting a logistical and technical nightmare.

The IAF responded with remarkable resolve. A team of engineers, pilots, and support personnel, along with an IL-76 transport aircraft carrying spares and an IL-78 mid-air refueling tanker, was dispatched to Mauritius. Despite the unprecedented challenge, the rectification team worked tirelessly, making the aircraft airworthy for ground runs by October 13 and conducting its first test flight on October 14—just 10 days after the accident.

The most daunting task was ferrying the repaired Mirage 2000 across 2,126 nautical miles of the desolate Indian Ocean, a route fraught with risks, especially for a single-engine fighter with prior damage. The IAF selected Squadron Leader Jaspreet Singh, a skilled pilot from a Central sector fighter squadron, for this high-stakes mission. On October 25, satellite imagery revealed a 1,000-nautical-mile clear stretch from Mauritius to Thiruvananthapuram, enabling three mid-air refuelings. With the weather window closing, Air Headquarters approved the ferry flight for October 26, 2004.

Jaspreet took off at 7:55 AM from a wet runway with minimal fuel to avoid stressing the airframe. He entered clouds almost immediately, facing zero margin for error. The first refueling, just 11 minutes after takeoff, was critical, and Jaspreet executed it flawlessly, climbing to 25,000 feet. After a grueling five-hour-and-ten-minute flight involving three mid-air refuelings, he landed the Mirage safely in Thiruvananthapuram. The next day, he flew it to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airfield in Bengaluru, where it was fully repaired and returned to service four months later.

Jaspreet’s citation for the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) described the mission as “one of the most challenging, daring, and risky peacetime operations ever undertaken by a fighter aircraft in the history of the IAF.” An internal IAF note added, “Given the situation, not too many air forces in the world would have been bold enough to attempt this ferry.” Jaspreet, who retired from the IAF in 2018, later reflected, “I was confident of undertaking this risky flight across the ocean as I had full faith in the team of exceptional technical personnel who had worked non-stop over two weeks to repair the aircraft.”

Parallels and Lessons

Both the F-35B and Mirage 2000 incidents highlight the complexities of recovering advanced fighter jets stranded in foreign territory. The British jet’s hydraulic failure required specialized expertise, much like the Mirage’s unprecedented belly landing damage. Both operations relied on international cooperation, with the IAF providing critical support to the British team in 2025, just as Mauritius facilitated the IAF’s efforts in 2004.

However, the IAF’s mission stands out for its sheer audacity. The Mirage 2000’s ferry flight over one of the most desolate stretches of the Indian Ocean, with a damaged aircraft and no margin for error, demanded extraordinary piloting skill and courage. The operation’s success hinged on meticulous planning, including satellite weather analysis and mid-air refueling coordination, as well as the technical prowess of IAF engineers who overcame a lack of precedent for such repairs.

The F-35B recovery, while complex, benefited from modern technology and a less perilous return journey. The British team’s ability to repair the jet on-site, albeit after 38 days, reflects advancements in maintenance protocols for fifth-generation aircraft. Yet, the incident also exposed vulnerabilities in the F-35’s maintenance chain, with reports suggesting that high upkeep costs and technical challenges have been a recurring issue for the platform.

A Testament to Military Aviation

The IAF’s 2004 mission remains a pinnacle of military aviation history, celebrated for its demonstration of courage, skill, and ingenuity. The recent F-35B recovery, while less dramatic, underscores the ongoing challenges of operating cutting-edge aircraft and the importance of international partnerships. Both stories highlight the human element—pilots like Jaspreet Singh and dedicated engineering teams—who turn near-impossible situations into triumphs.

As Jaspreet aptly noted, “Military aviation is all about taking calculated risks when the mission demands, preparing for all possible contingencies, and having your backup plans in place.” The IAF’s daring ferry of the Mirage 2000 and the successful recovery of the F-35B are testaments to this ethos, reminding us of the resilience and professionalism that define military aviation.