A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet was lost at sea after falling overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier while being towed on board, the Navy confirmed on Monday. The incident occurred when the carrier made a hard turn to avoid potential Houthi fire. Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone and missile attack targeting the carrier, which is stationed in the Red Sea as part of a US military operation against the Iran-backed group.
According to the Navy, the F/A-18E was being towed in the hangar bay when the tow crew lost control, causing both the aircraft and the tow tractor to fall overboard. While the aircraft was lost, all personnel on board the carrier are accounted for, with one sailor sustaining a minor injury. An investigation is underway to determine the specifics of the incident.
A second official reported that the jet had sunk. An F/A-18 fighter jet is valued at over $60 million. The USS Harry S. Truman, a Nimitz-class carrier, is highly maneuverable despite its massive size, capable of reaching speeds over 34 mph, powered by two nuclear reactors. Details of the turn made to avoid the missile fire remain unclear, but experts suggest that Navy carriers often use a zig-zag maneuver to evade missile attacks. Former US Navy captain Carl Schuster explained that this tactic involves sharp 30- to 40-degree turns, which shift the ship’s position and complicate targeting.
The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, currently deployed in the Middle East, has been repeatedly targeted by Houthi forces while operating in the Red Sea. Despite the recent incident, the Navy emphasized that the strike group and its air wing “remain fully mission capable.”
The Truman has faced several attacks by the Houthis over the past months. In February, it made headlines when it collided with a merchant ship near Egypt, though no injuries were reported. In December, another F/A-18 jet from the Truman was “mistakenly fired upon” and shot down by the cruiser USS Gettysburg in the Red Sea, but both pilots ejected safely. Other US Navy ships in the region have also been targeted by the Houthis. In early 2024, a US destroyer had to deploy its Phalanx Close-In Weapon System to defend against a Houthi-fired cruise missile that came within a mile of the ship.
Houthi targeting of US warships in the region began after the US Navy intervened to prevent the rebel group from attacking commercial ships headed for Israel, a move that was part of the broader conflict sparked by the invasion of Gaza in October 2023.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has intensified airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, escalating tensions and prompting retaliatory threats from the rebel group. The Houthis have made it clear that they will continue their support for the Palestinian cause, particularly in opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza. A statement from the Houthi-controlled armed forces declared that Yemen would not back down from its support operations for the Palestinian people “until the Israeli aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted.” This comes after US airstrikes on an oil port in western Yemen that killed dozens of people.
The militant group warned that the US’s “aggression” would only lead to further confrontations and attacks on US assets. On Monday, the Houthis claimed that a US airstrike hit a prison holding African migrants, killing dozens of people. The US military has yet to comment on these allegations. The situation remains tense, with the conflict between the US, the Houthis, and the broader regional dynamics continuing to fuel instability.
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