Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in what appeared to be “friendly fire,” the U.S. military confirmed. The pilots survived after ejecting from their aircraft, with one sustaining minor injuries. The incident highlights the ongoing risks in the Red Sea corridor due to attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, despite U.S. and European military patrols in the area. The U.S. military had conducted airstrikes against the Houthis at the time of the incident, but further details on the mission were not provided.
The aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet belonging to the Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The F/A-18 had taken off from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier just before being shot down. However, the details surrounding how the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly targeted and hit the F/A-18 remain unclear. The incident raises questions about communication and identification processes within a battle group, as such ships are typically connected by radar and radio.
The U.S. military had been successful in repelling attacks from the Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden before the incident. Warships and aircraft managed to shoot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. The U.S. has increased its airstrikes against the Houthis and their missile activities in the Red Sea and surrounding areas since the arrival of the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group. However, the presence of American warships in the region may provoke further attacks from the rebels.
On the same night they shot down the U.S. pilots, American warplanes conducted airstrikes in Yemen’s capital of Sanaa, targeting a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility held by the Houthis. The rebels have been launching attacks on merchant vessels in the region in response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. They claim to target ships associated with Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. to compel an end to Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the vessels attacked by the rebels have no connection to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
As a result of the Israel-Hamas war that began in October of the previous year, the Houthis have increasingly targeted ships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. The rebels have also directed similar attacks towards Israel, leading to retaliatory airstrikes by Israeli forces. The ongoing violence in the region has created a volatile environment, with various factions involved in military confrontations. The Houthis acknowledged their role in shooting down the U.S. aircraft in the Red Sea but did not provide details on casualties or damage caused by the incident.
