US fighter jet crashes after collision

A US Air Force fighter jet has crashed after it collided with an aerial refuelling tanker, a US marines unit says.

The pilot of the F-35B jet ejected and is being treated, while the crew of the KC-130J refuelling aircraft landed safely, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said.

The crash occurred over Imperial County, California, on Tuesday.

"At approximately 1600 it was reported that an F-35B made contact with a KC-130J during an air-to-air refueling evolution, resulting in the crash of the F-35B," the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a tweet.

The cause of the crash was under investigation, the marines said.

The refuelling plane had returned to the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport at Thermal, California, and all crew members were safe, it added.

The marines unit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.