According to the Navy, the crash occurred at 6:30 p.m. near Naval Air Station Lemoore in Southern California.

NAS Lemoore began operations in 1961. Today it is home to both Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific (CSWP) and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing (CJSFW). According to the Navy, "More than half of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft reside here, and it is the only Navy installation to house the F-35C Lightning II."

Video from the site of the crash near the base shows numerous first responders surrounding a large fire with thick, black smoke.

The F-35C stealth fighter is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and is the result of one history's most expensive weapons development programs. Current plans call for the U.S. military to hold an inventory of more than 2,000 F-35 fighter aircraft. The F-35C is the naval variant designed to withstand catapult launches as well as barrier recoveries on aircraft carriers.

The incident on July 30 was the second crash of an F-35A so far in 2025. On January 28, an F-35 crashed approximately 20 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska. 

As in latest crash, the pilot of the crashed F-35A in Alaska escaped the incident safely.

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