Two U.S. pilot ships over the Red Sea on Sunday engaged in “apparent friendly fire,” the U.S. military said, marking the worst casualty of the military threat in more than a year of Yemen’s Houthi attack on the country.
Both pilots were ejected from the aircraft and survived with minor injuries. But the incident underscores how dangerous the Red Sea has become amid continued attacks on boats by the Iranian Houthis, despite a US and European military coalition.
At the time, the US military had carried out airstrions to attack Yemen’s Houthis, although the Central Military Command (Centcom) did not elaborate on what their mission was.
An F/A-18 shot just flew off the carrier USS Harry S Truman, Centcom said. On December 15, Centcom acknowledged that Truman had entered the Middle East, but had not indicated that the carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.
“A missile from the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired and hit an F/A-18,” Centcom said in a statement. The thing is done.
According to the military description, the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Rippers” fighter squadron 11 from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia.
It’s not immediately clear how the Gettysburg F/A-18 could be mistaken for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially since the ships in the battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communications.
However, Centcom said it shot down several longships and aircraft before Houthi drones and anti-ship cruise missiles were launched by the rebels. The incoming hostile fire from the Houthis gave the sailors only seconds to make a last-ditch decision.
Since Truman’s arrival, the US has launched its airstrikes against the Houthis and launched their missile fire into the Red Sea and the surrounding area. However, the presence of the American long-range group could spark renewed attacks by the rebels, like what was seen earlier this year by the USS Dwight D Eisenhower. The installation marked what the navy described as the most intense battle since World War II.
On Saturday night and Sunday morning, the US carried out airstrikes targeting Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, which the Houthis have held since 2014. Centcom described the strikes as targeting “missile facilities” and “government and government”. facility”.
The Houthi government reported to the media that it strikes both Sana’a and the surrounding port city of Hodeida, without reporting any casualties or damage. In the Sana’a strikes, it appeared that the military factories were known to be home to the mountain in particular that was targeted. The Houthis later acknowledged that the aircraft had been shot down in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have targeted about 100 commercial vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023.
The Houthis seized one vessel and sank two in the expedition, which also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones were either intercepted by separate US- and European coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which also included Western military vessels.
The rebels claim that they will attack Israeli ships linked to the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
The Houthis have also increasingly targeted Israel with drones and artillery, resulting in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.