A U.S. Navy ship mistakenly shot down an American fighter jet over the Red Sea early Sunday, with the U.S. military’s Central Command describing the incident as an apparent case of friendly fire.
The two pilots were safely recovered after ejecting from their F/A-18 aircraft, according to Central Command, which stated that one of the pilots suffered minor injuries. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.
The fighter jet was operating off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier when it was mistakenly targeted by the USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser. Both ships are part of the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which was deployed to its area of responsibility on December 15, encompassing Yemen and the surrounding waters. Specific details regarding the group's location were not provided by Central Command.
The Iranian-backed Houthi militia controls much of northwestern Yemen and has targeted ships in what it claims is a campaign in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
This year, the U.S. military has conducted multiple strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen to help secure international waterways. On Saturday, Central Command announced airstrikes against a Houthi missile storage facility and a command facility located in Houthi-controlled territory in Sana, Yemen. The command also reported the interception of multiple Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship cruise missiles over the Red Sea, with these operations involving F/A-18s.