Red Sea, December 22, 2024 – The Europe Today: A United States Navy ship mistakenly shot down one of its own fighter jets in a “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported late Saturday. The incident marks the most serious mishap affecting US and European military coalitions patrolling the region to prevent attacks on shipping by Yemen-based Houthi rebels.
CENTCOM confirmed that the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet, with two pilots onboard. The jet had just departed the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier when the incident occurred. The USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser within the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, accidentally fired on and struck the F/A-18.
The two pilots managed to eject from the aircraft, though one sustained minor injuries. A full investigation into the circumstances of the friendly-fire incident has been launched by CENTCOM, as it remains unclear how the USS Gettysburg misidentified the US warplane despite being linked by radar and radio communication.
