WASHINGTON 

A U.S. Navy F-18 crashed in the southern California desert Tuesday near a sprawling naval air base as the military launched a search and rescue operation. 

Naval Air Forces confirmed the crash on Twitter, but the status of the pilot remains unclear.

"At approximately 10:00 a.m PST an F/A-18E crashed near @NAWS_CL. Search-and-rescue efforts are underway," the naval account said.

The base is roughly 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles, the U.S.'s second most populous city.