The unidentified pilot is from Nellis Air Force Base. It is unclear what led to the crash as of Tuesday afternoon.

Included in the Department of Defense’s enormous proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget is a procurement request for an additional 85 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.

There is something quietly revealing about a number like 38. On paper, the Pentagon’s request for 38 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the U.S. Air Force in its 2027 budget proposal

A pilot ejected from a military aircraft after reporting trouble maueuvering the aircraft around noon on Tuesday, according to sources who spoke to Channel 13.

Officials at Nellis Air Force Base said a F-35 jet crashed about 25 miles northeast of Indian Springs, within the controlled airspace of the Nevada Test and Training Range. The pilot ejected and is being treated for minor injuries. Officials did not immediately release further information.

While there was no independent confirmation of the claim, the Iranian military officials said that the pilot may have been killed after the jet exploded on impact in Central Iran.

The military also tapped Performance Drone Works LLC, Huntsville, Alabama, to supply nearly $15.3 million worth of drone systems to the Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Product Office. “Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 20, 2027,” the Defense Department said.

If an F-35 has indeed been shot down, it would mark a potentially historic breach of one of the most advanced stealth systems in modern warfare.