British F-35's Emergency Landing in Japan and Preceding Indian Incident

A British F-35 stealth fighter made an emergency landing in Japan, briefly disrupting Kagoshima airport operations. This follows a previous incident in India due to a hydraulic fault. Both events highlight the ongoing military collaboration among the UK, Japan, and the US in the western Pacific.

A British F-35 stealth fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Kagoshima airport in south-western Japan on Sunday due to a malfunction, airport officials confirmed to Kyodo News. The incident briefly disrupted the airport's operations, affecting commercial flights for approximately 20 minutes.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The emergency landing occurred amid a joint military drill involving British forces, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, and American forces, which began on August 4. The exercise will continue through next Tuesday, with the UK having dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific.

This incident follows a similar occurrence in July when a British F-35B fighter jet made an emergency landing in Thiruvananthapuram, India, due to a hydraulic system issue. The aircraft, part of the UK Navy's HMS Prince of Wales, had been on a routine mission but needed to divert for emergency recovery. It remained in India for over a month before departing on July 22, with the UK expressing gratitude to Indian authorities for their assistance.

(With inputs from agencies.)