Headline
American Air Force Departs Own Warplane in Misfortune Incident Involving Friendly Fire Over Red Sea, Amid Intensifying Strife with Houthi Insurgents
A U.S. warship mistakenly fired on and downed a Navy fighter plane in the Red Sea, as per military sources, on a Sunday, apparently due to an incident of "friendly fire." The U.S. military has stepped up its presence in the Red Sea to counter Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Crucial Points
The two pilots in the F/A-18 jet successfully parachuted into the Red Sea, with one of them suffering only minor injuries, as per various reports quoting military authorities.
The USS Gettysburg reportedly mistook the F/A-18 for a threat and retaliated, according to the news released by the U.S. Central Command.
The downed plane was identified as a two-seater F/A-18 Super Hornet belonging to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 11, stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, as per Central Command's description.
Central Command did not provide further details about how the misunderstanding arose but mentioned that the U.S. military had previously destroyed multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship rebel missile, and sailors had to swiftly decide their response to Houthi attacks.
Background Information
U.S. military carried out strikes in Sanaa, Yemen, and nearby Hodeida port city on Saturday night and Sunday morning. These strikes targeted a "missile storage facility" and "command-and-control facility," as authorities reportedly stated. The Houthi rebels have increased attacks on ships in the Red Sea, claiming to target vessels linked to the U.S., U.K., or Israel, though some ships have no connection to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The Houthi group has seized at least one ship and sunk two others, including a Belize-flagged ship off the Yemen coast in March.
Further Reading
Who Are the Houthis? Yemen Group Behind Red Sea Attacks Are Allies of Hamas (Our Website)
USS Mason Shoots Down Houthi Drone Amid Escalating Red Sea Conflict (Our Website)
Ship Sinks After Houthi Attack—A First in Conflict (Our Website)
- The incident in the Red Sea, resulting in the downing of an F/A-18 Super Hornet, occurred amidst heightened tensions, as the U.S. military is responding to Houthi attacks, known allies of Hamas, on ships in the Red Sea.
- The USS Harry S. Truman, serving in the Red Sea, might have inadvertently engaged in friendly fire, mistaking the USS Gettysburg's response to a Houthi attack for a threat, recalling similar incidents during the Israel-Hamas war.
- Following the Israel-Hamas war, where friendly fire incidents were not uncommon, the recent conflict in the Red Sea between the U.S. and Houthi rebels highlights the potential for misunderstandings, leading to unintentional collisions and losses in the complex battlefield scenario.
