In a troubling turn of events early Sunday morning, a U.S. F/A-18F Super Hornet was shot down by the USS Gettysburg in what’s being referred to as a “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea. Fortunately, the two Navy aviators are safe.
Here’s what we know at present:
The Super Hornet, assigned to aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), was flying over the Red Sea when guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) fired upon it, according to the CENTCOM statement.
âBoth pilots were safely recovered. Initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries,â reads a statement from CENTCOM. âThis incident was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway.â
A Navy official told USNI News the incident occurred around 3 a.m. local time on Sunday or about 7 p.m. East Coast time on Saturday. The Super Hornet was assigned to Carrier Air Wing One, and embarked aboard Truman, an official told USNI News. While the CENTCOM statement didnât specify the squadron, the only two-seat F/A-18F squadron embarked aboard Truman are the âRed Rippersâ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The strike group is tasked as part of the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, the mission to protect merchant traffic in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks from Yemen. Previous strike groups and independently deployed U.S. guided-missile warships have intercepted dozens of drones, guided cruise missiles and ballstic missiles as part of their mission.
Over the weekend, U.S. forces attacked the Yemeni capital of Sanna striking a missile storage facility and a command and control node, according to a Saturday statement from CENTCOM.
As noted, U.S. forces had been conducting airstrikes against the Houthi in Yemen.
The U.S. military confirmed it conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control center operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful strikes in a release Saturday, saying they were meant to “disrupt and degrade” Houthi operations.
“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 in a news release.
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Following the incident, CENTCOM issued the following statement:
TAMPA, Fla. â Two U.S. Navy pilots ejected safely over the Red Sea during the early morning hours of December 22 when their F/A-18 fighter aircraft was shot down in an apparent case of friendly fire.
The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64), 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 the USS Harry S. Truman.
Both pilots were safely recovered. Initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries. This incident was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway.
This is a developing story. RedState will provide additional information as it becomes available.
