California, July 31 - On the evening of July 30, 2025, a U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter jet crashed near Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore in Kings County, California, marking a significant incident involving one of the Navy’s most advanced aircraft. The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. local time in a field near West Cadillac and South Dickinson avenues, approximately 40 miles southwest of Fresno. The pilot, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-125, also known as the “Rough Raiders,” successfully ejected from the aircraft and was reported safe, with no serious injuries. Emergency medical teams and local authorities, including the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Cal Fire, quickly responded to the scene to assist the pilot and manage the situation.
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The wreckage of the jet was engulfed in flames upon impact, producing thick black smoke and sparking a small grass fire that burned nearly a dozen acres, according to Cal Fire reports. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with no immediate details released by the Navy or Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35C. The F-35C Lightning II is the Navy’s carrier-based variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter family, designed specifically for catapult launches and arrested landings on aircraft carriers. Equipped with larger wings and reinforced landing gear compared to its Air Force (F-35A) and Marine Corps (F-35B) counterparts, the F-35C is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft that integrates advanced sensor fusion, network-enabled operations, and superior stealth capabilities.
These features make it a cornerstone of U.S. naval air superiority, intended to counter advanced threats and project power in contested environments. The aircraft, which achieved initial operational capability with the Navy in 2019, has been deployed on carriers such as the USS Carl Vinson and continues to evolve with software upgrades and enhanced capabilities. Each F-35C is estimated to cost around $100 million, reflecting its cutting-edge technology and critical role in modern naval warfare. NAS Lemoore, where the incident occurred, is the Navy’s largest master jet base on the West Coast, housing over half of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters and serving as the only naval air station to operate the F-35C.
The VFA-125 “Rough Raiders” squadron is a Fleet Replacement Squadron, tasked with training pilots and aircrews for frontline deployments. This crash marks the second F-35C incident in the aircraft’s history, following a 2022 accident where an F-35C was lost at sea after a ramp strike during a landing attempt on the USS Carl Vinson in the South China Sea. That earlier incident, which also saw the pilot eject safely, resulted in the recovery of the wreckage from a depth of 12,400 feet. The July 2025 crash, occurring during a training flight, underscores the challenges of operating advanced fighter jets, even in controlled environments. As the investigation proceeds, the Navy will likely focus on identifying mechanical or human factors to prevent future incidents, ensuring the continued reliability of this vital asset.