India, July 22 -- An F-35B Lightning II combat jet belonging to the Royal Navy finally departed from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram airport on Tuesday, weeks after it was forced to make an emergency landing on 14 June due to technical issues and low fuel levels. The jet's extended stay on Indian soil drew widespread attention both offline and online - and, unsurprisingly, sparked a flurry of memes on the social media platform X.

(Also read: Pak minister schooled by CNN anchor for absurd 'social media' reply as proof of downing Indian jets)

The advanced fighter aircraft remained grounded for nearly a month, as repeated attempts to fix the issue were unsuccessful. Valued at around £85 million, the jet sat idle on the runway, becoming an...