On July 30, 2025, local time, several U.S. media outlets, including "The War Zone," reported that a U.S. Navy F-35C carrier-based fighter jet crashed at the Lemoore Naval Air Station. The Lemoore Naval Air Station is the main attack fighter base for the U.S. Navy on the West Coast. The base is the primary attack fighter base for the U.S. Navy on the West Coast and is equipped with F-35C and F/A-18E/F carrier-based fighter jets. It is reported that the crash of the U.S. Navy's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet occurred in the evening local time on July 30, and an emergency response team from the U.S. military has arrived at the scene. In response, the Lemoore Naval Air Station issued a statement, confirming that one of the F-35C carriers had been involved in the crash incident, but the pilot of the U.S. Navy carrier-based fighter jet was safe. The statement said: "VFA-125 is the F-35C training squadron on the West Coast."

Screen capture of the report by the U.S. media "The War Zone"

U.S. media reporting on the crash of the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet

At 6:30 PM on July 30, an F-35C "Jaguar" fighter jet belonging to the U.S. Navy's VFA-125 "Rough Riders" unit crashed near the Lemoore Naval Air Station. The Lemoore Naval Air Station confirmed that the pilot had successfully ejected and was safe. No other personnel were injured. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Because the aircraft crashed vertically and exploded, according to the California Fire Department, the crash triggered a large fire. As of 7:54 PM local time on July 30, the fire had spread to 10 acres. The California Fire Department and the Lemoore Naval Base rushed to the scene. On January 28, 2025 (during the Chinese Lunar New Year), a U.S. Air Force F-35A fighter jet crashed during training at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, and the U.S. pilot successfully escaped.

Images captured by U.S. media of the U.S. F-35C carrier-based fighter jet crash

The unit cost of the U.S. military's F-35A fighter jet is approximately $82.5 million (based on the U.S. military procurement price data at the end of 2024). Other models, the F-35B fighter jet of the U.S. military costs $109 million, and the U.S. Navy's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet costs $102 million. The F-35C carrier-based fighter jet that crashed on July 30, 2025, is the 12th F-35 series fighter jet lost by the U.S. military, and also the 18th fifth-generation fighter jet lost by the U.S. military.

Two F-35 carrier-based fighter jet crashes have occurred in the U.S. military in 2025

In fact, the U.S. military's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet already had "premonitions": just a few days ago, the whole world was mocking the U.S. Navy's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet, which was covered in rust, as if it had been pulled out of a "sewage pit." The reason for the rust lies in the stealth coating of the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet. Compared to the F-35A fighter jet, due to exposure to saltwater, high humidity, jet blast, and the operational pressure of the carrier, the stealth coating of the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet degrades more frequently in the marine environment, thus accelerating erosion. Wear or degradation of the radar-absorbing material coating on the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet reduces radar wave absorption and increases the radar cross-section, thereby damaging its stealth capabilities. The rusty appearance may indicate significant problems in the maintenance and repair of the U.S. military's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet.

The world just mocked the U.S. military's F-35C, possibly "falling into a sewage pit"

The U.S. military did not maintain and protect the stealth coating of the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet regularly. According to the U.S. military's reasoning, in the small carrier hangar, the F-35B and F-35C carrier-based fighter jets do not have the opportunity to be maintained and repaired every day, so they can only watch the stealth coating of the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet fall off. The rusty appearance of the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet will significantly affect its stealth performance. It is reported that an American aerospace materials research engineer pointed out: "The rust on the U.S. military's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet is not simply a maintenance issue, but a fundamental design flaw in the stealth coating mechanism." "The ferrite radar-absorbing material used in the F-35C undergoes oxidation and rusting in high temperature, high humidity, and high salt environments, while China's J-20 uses advanced materials technology to avoid this problem."

The U.S. military's F-35C is not just a rusty one

All yellowish F-35C carrier-based fighter jets

The U.S. military's explanation of "paint discoloration" and emphasized that there was no performance degradation, but in fact, it was rust, just a more polite way of saying oxidation. The ferrite radar-absorbing material used in the U.S. military's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet can effectively absorb radar waves, but in the marine environment, it reveals a fatal weakness. Salt fog, high temperature, and high humidity trigger oxidation reactions in the iron material in the coating, forming rust. That's why even regional weapons forces like the Houthi rebels in Yemen can threaten the F-35C carrier-based fighter jet, almost bringing down the U.S. Navy's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet. Obviously, the U.S. military's F-35 fighter jet's stealth performance and maintenance support have serious problems, not only causing a decline in combat capability but also leading to crash incidents.

The problem with the U.S. military's F-35C carrier-based fighter jet is the ground crew support problem

This is a major disaster for the U.S. military. The crash of the U.S. Navy's most advanced F-35C carrier-based fighter jet marks the end of the U.S. military's F-35 fighter jet "myth." The continuous crashes of the F-35 series fighter jets clearly show that the United States is accelerating its decline, and the U.S. global military hegemony is beginning to collapse. The days when the U.S. military could act recklessly around the world are about to come to an end.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7533087677290185243/

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