Two US Navy planes were shot down on Sunday over the Red Sea by what appeared to be “friendly fire”, the US military said.
The pilots were found alive after ejecting from their aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries.
The incident highlights the widespread dangers along the Red Sea coast amid ongoing naval attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis, despite US and European military agencies monitoring the area.
The US military had carried out airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels at the time, but the US military commander did not specify what their target was.
A fighter jet takes off on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, June 11, 2024. (AP)
The military said the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
The downed F/A-18 had just taken off from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, according to Central Command. On December 15, Central Command said the Truman had entered the Middle, but did not specify that the carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.
“The guided missile ship USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, accidentally fired and hit an F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.