US Super Hornet fighter jet was “attacked by friendly fire” over the Red Sea, and two pilots were rescued
Two U.S. Navy pilots flying F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets were shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday. The U.S. military said the fighter jet was mistakenly shot down by a U.S. frigate in a “friendly fire” incident. The two pilots ejected successfully and were rescued safely, with one of them slightly injured. As the Houthi armed forces have been attacking ships in the Red Sea for more than a year, this incident once again highlights the highly dangerous security situation in the region. According to a statement from the U.S. Central Command, the Super Hornet fighter jet belonging to the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier was “mistakenly fired and hit” by the missile cruiser USS Gettysburg belonging to the same aircraft carrier strike group while flying over the Red Sea in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Central Command said: “This incident was not caused by enemy fire and is currently under full investigation.” The U.S. Naval Institute News quoted an unnamed Navy official as saying that the incident occurred around 3 a.m. local time on Sunday. While the Central Command statement did not specify which squadron the aircraft belonged to, the only two-seat F/A-18F on board the Truman was the “Red Rippers” from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The strike group was conducting a mission as part of the U.S.-led Operation Guardian of Prosperity, which aims to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
