A US Navy F-35 fighter jet has crashed near the Leemore Naval Air Station, located around 40 miles (64 kilometres) southwest of the city of Fresno in central California, according to a Navy press statement. The pilot managed to successfully eject and has reportedly been airlifted to a hospital.
The incident that occurred around 6:30 pm (local time) is under investigation, the statement said.
Visuals from the spot show thick plumes of smoke rising from the burning debris.
🚨#BREAKING: emergency officials are on the scene after a United States military f-35 jet has crash and burst into flames
At this time military officials and emergency crews are currently on scene at Lemoore Naval Air Station in Fresno County,… pic.twitter.com/XCRg0BUv2y
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 31, 2025
Per the US Navy, the aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VF-125, known as the “Rough Raiders.” VF-125 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron, responsible for training pilots and aircrews.
What Is The F-35 Jet?
The F-35 is a family of 5th-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth multirole combat aircraft designed to perform air superiority, strike, electronic warfare, and intelligence-gathering missions.
There are three primary variants:
F-35A, Conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL)
F-35B, Short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL)
F-35C, Carrier-based operations
Made by America’s defence contractor Lockheed Martin, F-35s are the world’s only advanced, long-range stealth fighter jets. They are designed for various missions, including air superiority, strike, electronic warfare, and intelligence gathering.
The maker of F-35 fighter jets has not released any statement on the crash yet.
