Once again, American F-35s are making headlines. This time the most advanced fighter crashed near NAS Lemoore in California. What do we know about this unusual series of accidents?
F-35 – a symbol of American power and… costly problems
The F-35 is considered one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world. The cost of a single aircraft is as much as 100 million dollars. The US is investing in their development and production – it plans to have more than two thousand of them.
However, these aircraft periodically make headlines not because of successes, but… because of further disasters. The latest incident occurred on July 30, 2025.
The latest incident near NAS Lemoore
On Wednesday evening, an F-35C belonging to the „Rough Raiders” training squadron crashed just outside NAS Lemoore in California. At 6:30 p.m. local time, the pilot reported a malfunction. Fortunately, he managed to eject and avoided serious injury. No one on the ground was hurt.
Details of the incident
- The crashed aircraft was an F-35C (carrier version) used for pilot training
- The aircraft belonged to the VFA-125 „Rough Raiders” unit
- The accident happened during a routine training flight
- The cause of the crash is under investigation
It is worth adding that this is already the second incident involving an F-35 fighter in the US in 2025 – in January an F-35A crashed in Alaska, where the pilot also survived.
F-35 – a series of problems and questions about reliability
According to compilations, since 2018 more than 11 crashes involving F-35s have occurred worldwide, mainly in the US. Every loss means more than just costs – losing one aircraft means longer training for new pilots and slower modernization of air forces.
Common causes of F-35 accidents
- Failures of electronic systems and the engine
- Technical problems during landing and takeoff
- Excessive complexity of the aircraft
- Intensive use of aircraft for training
Will these incidents stop the F-35 program?
Both the US Army and Lockheed Martin are defending the program. The manufacturer says most failures stem from the „teething problems” of new aircraft, stressing that work is ongoing on further improvements and system updates. Experts compare the situation to the launch of a new smartphone – the first batches can cause problems, and over time the number of faults drops.
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