Official announcements from the U.S. Navy or Department of Defense

U.S. Navy F/A-18F Shot Down by USS Gettysburg Over Red Sea; Pilots Safe

Dec 22, 2024, 02:23 PM

Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday in an apparent friendly fire incident near Yemen, the U.S. military reported. The aviators were flying an F/A-18F Super Hornet that had just launched from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman when it was mistakenly targeted by the USS Gettysburg, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser. Both pilots ejected safely and were recovered alive, with one sustaining minor injuries. The incident occurred during coalition strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels and is the most serious involving U.S. forces in over a year of operations in the region. U.S. Central Command described the event as "an apparent case of friendly fire," and an investigation is underway.