The British Navy’s F-35B fighter jet, which has been stranded at the Thiruvananthapuram airport for 10 days following a snag in its hydraulic system, will be shifted to the Air India hangar to protect it from the elements.

The stealth fighter jet had made an unscheduled stop at the airport after running low on fuel during a regular sortie over the Indian Ocean.

It has been learnt that a 40-member contingent from the UK is expected to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram in the next few days to address the hydraulic glitch that, sources said, can develop when fighter jets fly on low fuel.

At the tarmac, the jet was provided with 24X7 security by the Central Industrial Security Force. On Wednesday, the spokesperson for the British high commission in New Delhi said in a statement that aircraft towing equipment was being brought in from the UK to move the jet.

“Without the towing equipment, the F-35B cannot be towed and risks further damage. Our request to move the aircraft to the maintenance hangar of Air India has been accepted by the Indian government. We are aware that moving it prematurely can hamper the scheduled maintenance of other aircraft. Hence, we have decided to move the aircraft once the specialist equipment and UK engineering teams arrive, which will minimise disruption,” the spokesperson said.

A source at the airport told The Telegraph that a 40-member aeronautical engineering team from the UK would be landing in the next few days.

The F-35B, a fifth-generation stealth fighter capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings, is among the most advanced jets in the world. The stealth fighter jet is considered one of its top military possessions by the US. This is the same jet that US President Donald Trump had offered to India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US trip in February.