Two US Navy pilots were shot down in “friendly fire” over the Red Sea on Sunday, the US military said.
The pilots were found alive after ejecting from the aircraft, one with minor injuries.
The incident reflects broader threats in the Red Sea corridor amid ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis, while the US and European military coalition patrol the area.
At that time, the US military conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, but the US Central Command did not say what their mission was.
US Navy ships repulse Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden
A fighter jet conducts maneuvers on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on June 11, 2024. (AP)
The Army said the aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Reapers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
According to Central Command, the downed F/A-18 was the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Had just blown off the deck of the Truman. On 15 December, Central Command stated that Truman had entered the Middle East, but did not specify that the carrier and her battle group were in the Red Sea.
“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, accidentally fired and engaged the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.
It is unclear how the Gettysburgs mistook the F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially since the ships in the battle group are linked by radar and radio communications.
US military conducts successful air strikes on Houthi rebel forces in Yemen
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) steams in the Mediterranean Sea, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP)
The Central Command said warships and aircraft earlier shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. The Houthis’ fire has previously forced sailors to make decisions in seconds.
Since Truman’s arrival, the US has intensified its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and their missiles in the Red Sea and the surrounding region. But the US warship group in the area could lead to additional attacks from the rebels.
On Saturday night and Sunday, US warplanes carried out airstrikes that shook Yemen’s capital Sanaa, which has been held by the Houthis for a decade. Central Command said the attacks targeted a “missile storage facility” and a “command-and-control facility.”
Houthi-controlled media reported attacks around Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, but did not disclose details of any casualties or damage.
Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman stops near Split, Croatia on February 14, 2022. (AP)
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The Houthis later admitted that the plane was shot down over the Red Sea.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October last year, the Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones.
Rebels say they target ships belonging to Israel, the US or Britain to end Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which began after Hamas’ surprise attack against Israel on October 7, 2023 , although many of the ships the rebels have attacked have little or no connection to the current war, some of which are headed for Iran.
The Houthis have also increasingly targeted Israel with drones and missiles, prompting Israeli forces to launch retaliatory airstrikes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
