• Source:JND
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US fighter jet crashes: A pilot safely ejected after an F-35C fighter jet from the VFA-125 Rough Raiders crashed near a field in Fresno County, according to Naval Air Station Lemoore. Deputies responded to the scene around 6:40 p.m., near the intersection of Cadillac and Dickenson avenues, just outside NAS Lemoore. The pilot ejected safely.

Cause of F-35 crash remains unknown

"The pilot successfully ejected and is safe. There are no additional affected personnel," a statement from NAS Lemoore said. No further details on the crash were provided. The cause of the crash is under investigation, the statement said. US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, the maker of F-35 fighter jets, did not react to the recent attack.

Video from CNN affiliate KFSN showed fire and thick black smoke rising from the crash site in flat, open farmland near the air station, around 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of the city of Fresno in central California. A local EMS crew was at the scene helping the pilot, and Cal Fire also responded, a Fresno County sheriff's Office statement said, as per CNN.

The aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VF-125, known as the "Rough Raiders," the Navy said. VF-125 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron, responsible for training pilots and aircrew.

The crashed jet was an F-35C, one of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, designed for use on US aircraft carriers. The US Air Force flies the F-35A while the Marine Corps flies the F-35B, a short takeoff, vertical landing jet.

F-35: A $100 million jet 

The crash of the aircraft, priced at around USD 100 million, was the second of an F-35 this year, CNN reported. An Air Force F-35A crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in January during a training mission. The pilot also ejected safely in that incident.

The F-35, a fifth-generation fighter jet and one of the world's most advanced warplanes, is a cornerstone of the US military's fleet. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, it's lauded for its advanced stealth and combat capabilities. Worldwide, more than 17 countries are part of the F-35 program, the company says. But the jet has faced increased scrutiny in recent years over maintenance and readiness issues.

(With inputs from agency)