F-35 fighter jet crashes at Marine Corps air base in San Diego
Cybersecarmor.com – An F-35 fighter jet crashed at a military base in San Diego on July 31, authorities said, triggering a large emergency response.
The crash occurred at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and involved a F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, 1st Lt. Blake Starbuck, a spokesperson for the air base, told USA TODAY.
The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was later recovered, Starbuck said, adding that the pilot was "en route to a medical facility." Later the base said in a statement that the pilot was in stable condition and was being evaluated and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Starbuck described the crash as a "mishap" and said more information will be released when available.
Videos from local television stations show plumes of smoke emanating from the jet as emergency responders arrived at the scene.
The crash was the latest involving an F-35 jet. In March, a U.S. Air Force F-35A crashed in Nevada; the pilot ejected safely and sustained only minor injuries. In July 2025, a pilot ejected after an F-35 crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California.
The F-35 is considered the most advanced warplane in the world. The Pentagon purchased jets in three styles: F-35A for the Air Force, F-35B for the Marines and F-35C for the Navy. The F-35B can take off and land vertically, similar to how a helicopter takes off and lands.
The F-35, manufactured by defense contractor Lockheed Martin, is the most expensive weapons system in the U.S. military arsenal. The Pentagon is projected to spend $1.7 trillion on nearly 2,500 F-35s, according to a Government Accountability Office report released in 2023. The program has been plagued by maintenance issues, delays and high costs.
Concerns about the expense of the plane have been aired publicly, including by President Donald Trump . Before his first term in office, he said the F-35 program was "out of control” and vowed to rein in its costs, which have only since grown.
Lockheed Martin's press office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
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