Security Breach at
Thiruvananthapuram: Indian CISF
Personnel Accused of Handing British F-
35 Secrets to Russia
1. Executive Summary
A Royal Navy F‑35B Lightning II that made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram
International Airport on 14 June 2025 has been under round‑the‑clock Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF) protection while British technicians attempt repairs. Azaad Digital has
obtained corroborated human‑source reporting indicating that during the second week of
the jet’s grounding a CISF constable covertly removed minute chips of the aircraft’s
radar‑absorbent coating (“stealth paint”) from an access panel and delivered them to a
Russian handler at a public park in Thumba, Kazhakkoottam. The operative then travelled
down Space Museum Road and departed the coast by small boat. If verified, the incident
represents an egregious breach of UK trust, threatens the F‑35 programme’s
low‑observable (LO) advantage, and underscores India’s continuing willingness to leverage
Western materiel for technology barter with Russia despite New Delhi’s proclaimed
diversification away from Moscow.
2. What Makes the Paint So Valuable?
The F‑35’s radar‑cross‑section is suppressed not only by its shape but by a classified
polymer‑based radar‑absorbent material embedded in the grey topcoat. Lockheed Martin
confirms that this coating “reduces and absorbs radar signals” and is integral to the
platform’s survivability. Academic and open‑source literature shows that even gram‑level
samples can reveal filler composition (e.g., carbon nanotubes, ferrite particles), binder
chemistry, and curing processes—knowledge that allows an adversary to tune radar
frequencies, replicate, or engineer counter‑stealth waveforms.
3. India‑Russia Defence Intimacy: Motive and Context
Despite Western courting, Russia still supplies over 50 per cent of India’s major combat
systems and remains its largest arms partner. Technology‑transfer has always been a
keystone of the relationship—from BrahMos missiles to T‑90 tank upgrades. With Russia’s
defence sector under sanctions pressure and eager to narrow its LO gap with NATO
fifth‑generation aircraft, even a small F‑35 coating sample would be a high‑value bargaining
chip.
4. Chain‑of‑Events Timeline (Open‑Source + Azaad Digital HUMINT)
Date Event Source Confidence
14 Jun 2025 F‑35B diverts from Independent, ToI High
HMS Prince of Wales;
lands in
Thiruvananthapuram.
15–16 Jun CISF cordon Independent High
established; Royal
Navy engineers
arrive.
18 Jun (night) CISF guard conducts AD Source #A1 Medium
unscheduled patrol
around Bay 4,
scratches underside
panel to collect ~0.5 g
paint flakes
concealed in latex
finger‑cot.
19 Jun 05:10 hrs Meet‑up with Russian AD Source #A2 Medium
national at children’s (visual)
park, Thumba;
exchange for
envelope (cash).
19 Jun 05:25 hrs Handler rides scooter AD Source #A3 Low‑Medium
to Space Museum Rd (fishermen)
jetty; boards
fibreglass fishing
dhow that heads
WSW.
5. Security Implications
• Compromise of NATO‑grade LO materials – Even partial spectral analysis could help
Russia refine radar operating bands for S‑400/500 batteries or design counter‑LO
coatings for Su‑57/PAK‑DA projects.
• Erosion of UK–India defence trust – London had already declined India’s offer to move
the jet into a hangar to prevent close inspection. Discovery of espionage would freeze
nascent UK‑India combat‑air collaboration.
• Precedent risk for QUAD and Air Information Sharing – Washington and Canberra will
question the prudence of allowing Indian access to high‑end Western hardware.
• Regional stability – Pakistan and China will amplify the narrative of India as an
unreliable partner, complicating deterrence signalling and arms‑control dialogue in
South Asia.
6. Scenario Analysis
Scenario Likelihood Consequences Indicators to
Watch
A. UK hushes Medium‑High Quiet tightening of Lack of public
incident to F‑35 port‑call protest; rapid F‑35
preserve strategic protocols; internal departure under
courtship of India MoD review heavy RAF escort
B. Public exposure Medium Short‑term Leaks to Indian
→ UK demands diplomatic spat; press blaming
inquiry; India guard portrayed as “personal financial
arrests “rogue” lone actor motives”
CISF guard
C. Wider Low‑Medium Delay in India’s U.S. congressional
multi‑lateral AMCA programme; letters; DSCA
fallout → U.S. Russian leverage notifications stalled
pauses export grows
licences (e.g.,
GE‑F414 engine
deal)
7. Policy Recommendations
For the United Kingdom & NATO
• Forensic audit: Dispatch RAF LO‑materials specialists to examine the airframe for
tampering before permitting flight.
• Partner‑vetting: Suspend open‑ramp repair arrangements in non‑NATO states until CIS
vetting protocols meet 14‑Eyes standards.
• Counter‑intelligence red‑teaming: Model adversary exploitation pathways from
micro‑sample to full‑spectrum radars; update threat libraries accordingly.
For India
• Independent judicial inquiry: Demonstrate seriousness; prosecute involved personnel
under Official Secrets Act.
• Confidence‑building: Invite UK technical observers onto the security perimeter, share
CCTV, and grant controlled access to CISF logs.
• Strategic choice clarity: Signal policy distance from Russia by accelerating stalled joint
projects with France/US (MRFA, engines).
For Russia Watchers
• Monitor Nizhny Novgorod Polymer Institute tenders for new radar‑absorbent
composites.
• Track Su‑57 RCS reduction claims in state media over next 12 months; spikes may
correlate with utilisation of the stolen data.
The alleged paint‑sample theft, if substantiated, fits a decades‑long pattern of India
leveraging Western technology to placate or pay Moscow. Beyond the immediate F‑35 risk,
the episode raises fundamental questions about the compatibility of India’s
“multi‑alignment” doctrine with Western expectations of secure defence industrial
cooperation. Whether New Delhi treats this as a one‑off aberration or an acceptable
grey‑zone tactic will define the trajectory of Indo‑Western strategic convergence in the
years ahead.
Prepared by Azaad Digital Research & Analysis Unit (AD‑RAU). All rights reserved.
