Two US Navy pilots were shot down after a F/A-18 Super Hornet was hit in an “apparent case of friendly fire” over the Red Sea.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on December 22, 2024, that both F/A-18 pilots safely ejected and were recovered. One of the US Navy pilots sustained minor injuries during the incident in the early morning hours.
“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG64), which is part of the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off USS Harry S. Truman. The incident was not a result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The US Navy has been present in the region for over a year to combat Houthi rebels in Yemen that began targeting commercial vessels in response to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
On December 21, 2024, US forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Houthis in Sana’a, Yemen.
CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 21, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP
“CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said.