United Arab Emirates (AP) — DUBAI The United States military reported that two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in what appeared to be a “friendly fire” incident. This was the most serious incident to threaten troops in more than a year of America attacking
After ejecting from their downed two-seat F/A-18 aircraft, both pilots were found alive, though one had minor injuries. However, despite U.S. and European military coalitions patrolling the region, the shootdown highlights how hazardous the Red Sea passage has become, with the Iranian-backed Houthis continuing to strike commerce.
At the time of the friendly fire incident, the U.S. military had carried out airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen; however, the Central Command of the U.S. military did not provide further details regarding the pilots’ mission or answer enquiries from The Associated Press.
According to Central Command, the downed F/A-18 had just taken off from the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. Despite not mentioning that the carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea, Central Command recognised the Truman’s entry into the Middle East on December 15.
In a statement, Central Command stated that the F/A-18 was struck by the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is a member of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, by accident. “A thorough investigation is in progress, and hostile fire was not the cause of this incident.”
According to the military, the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet that belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron 11’s “Red Rippers” from Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. A two-seat F/A-18 normally carries a pilot and a weapons officer, yet Central Command called both pilots.
