US F-16 crashes near Las Vegas
A US F-16 fighter jet crashed on Wednesday near Las Vegas, the third US military aircraft crash in two days.
'An air force F-16 assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, crashed at approximately 10:30 am during routine training on the Nevada Test and Training Range,' the service said in a statement.' The condition of the pilot is not known at this time,' it said.
The crash followed two others the day before. In California, a USMC CH-53E helicopter crashed with four crew aboard.
'The status of all four is presumed dead pending positive identification,' the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said.
And in Djibouti, a Marine AV-8B Harrier jet crashed after the pilot ejected during takeoff.
'Doctors said the pilot was in stable condition,' US Naval Forces Central Command said.
US Defense Department chief James Mattis secured a record budget last month for the Pentagon, which will allow investments that have been on hold for several years, including in the navy, which is overstretched in foreign theatres, and the air force, which suffers rapid pilot turnover due to more lucrative private sector options.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Notes
-
![Amazon Project Kuiper emphasises user-friendly solutions for multi-domain connectivity (Studio)]()
Amazon Project Kuiper emphasises user-friendly solutions for multi-domain connectivity (Studio)
At DSEI 2025, Shephard's Alix Valenti spoke to Project Kuiper's Rich Pang about the importance of enabling seamless communication between allied forces such as NATO members in challenging operational environments.
-
![Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft]()
Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft
The procurement and acceleration production plans – some of which still await approval – across the air and land domains will aim to strengthen the operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces.
-
![US reforms its defence acquisition system to focus on commercial capabilities]()
US reforms its defence acquisition system to focus on commercial capabilities
This shift is planned to accelerate the procurement and fielding of capabilities. As part of this strategy, the US also intends modernise its regulations in an attempt to change its bureaucratic and risk-averse culture.
