A naval F-35C crashed in California on Wednesday near Naval Air Station Lemoore, the second crash this year of one of the world’s most advanced warplanes.
NAS Lemoore Public Affairs Officer Sarah Thrasher told Newsweek via email that the jet pilot had “successfully ejected and is safe.” The F-35C was attached to the VFA-125 “Rough Raiders,” Thrasher said.
She said the cause of the crash was under investigation and that no other personnel were affected.
Why It Matters
A crash of a jet fighter such as the F-35 will watched by countries considering buying the aircraft.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the fifth-generation aircraft is lauded for its advanced stealth and combat capabilities. Worldwide, more than 17 countries are part of the F-35 program, the company says.
But Wednesday’s crash comes as some Western militaries have been asking whether, given the Trump administration’s at times abrasive and unpredictable approach to foreign policy, it is wise to develop an over-reliance on the F-35 fighter jet.
Many of the 20 nations operating or buying the stealth fighter aircraft are NATO members, and the U.K. announced at a NATO summit in June that it was buying at least 12 F-35A fighter jets for its air force, adding to the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing, or STOVL, variant used by its navy.
The same month, Israel showed what the F-35 can do in combat when it began its airstrike campaign against Iran.
Nevertheless, military analysts say questions about an over-reliance on a single supply source will linger, and another crash of the aircraft could add to prospective buyers’ questions.
Copernicus
What To Know
CNN reported that video from its local affiliate KFSN-TV showed fire and thick black smoke rising from the crash site in flat, open farmland near the air station, around 40 miles southwest of Fresno in central California.
An emergency service team was at the scene helping the pilot, and Cal Fire also responded, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The navy’s Rough Raiders strike fighter squadron is a “Fleet Replacement Squadron,” responsible for training pilots and aircrew.

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