Two US Navy pilots ejected safely after their F/A-18 fighter jet was shot down in a friendly fire incident over the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed in a statement on Saturday. Both pilots were rescued, with one sustaining minor injuries, according to initial reports.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 (VFA-11) assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) was accidentally shot down by the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) as a result of misidentification.
The aircraft was taking part in a sortie as part of Operation Poseidon Archer, against the forces of Ansar Allah (Houthi) in Yemen.
The aircraft was reportedly shot down using a SM-2 (RIM-66 Standard) surface-to-air missile.
The same day, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for downing an F/A-18 jet over the Red Sea and targeting the USS Harry S. Truman.
The Iran-backed group stated the strikes were in retaliation for alleged US and British attacks on their drones and missiles. However, CENTCOM dismissed these claims, noting the incident was unrelated to any Houthi activity.
The Houthis have a history of making unverified claims about targeting US warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Nevertheless, their recent actions have raised concerns, as the group has continued attacking vessels in the region, citing Israel’s war with Hamas as justification.
The friendly fire incident coincided with US airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, which included a missile storage facility and a command-and-control center in the capital, Sana’a. Navy F/A-18 jets, along with Air Force assets, participated in the strikes. According to US officials, the downed fighter jet was not involved in these operations.
Houthi forces also claimed they launched a hypersonic ballistic missile at Tel Aviv’s Jaffa area on Saturday, allegedly hitting an Israeli target. Israeli authorities confirmed the missile struck Tel Aviv overnight but noted that no fatalities occurred, though more than a dozen people sustained minor injuries.
