In a tragic incident of friendly fire, two US Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea, the US military reported on Sunday, December 22, 2024. The shootdown, the most severe in over a year, occurred amidst the US targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Both pilots survived the incident, having successfully ejected from their aircraft, with one enduring minor injuries. This episode underscores the escalating dangers in the Red Sea corridor due to the ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis, despite the presence of US and European military coalitions in the area.
At the time, the US military was conducting airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Details of their mission remain undisclosed by the US military’s Central Command. The F/A-18 aircraft, which was shot down, had just taken off from the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier.
In a statement released by Central Command, it was revealed that the USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18.
The aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 based at the Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The circumstances leading to the Gettysburg mistaking an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile remain unclear, given the radar and radio communication linkage between ships in a battle group.
The US has intensified its airstrikes against the Houthis and their missile fire into the Red Sea and surrounding area since the Truman’s arrival. However, the American warship group’s presence could potentially trigger retaliatory attacks from the rebels.
Over the weekend, US warplanes conducted airstrikes that rattled Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, held by the Houthis since 2014. Central Command described the strikes as targeting a “missile storage facility” and a “command-and-control facility”, without further details.
Houthi-controlled media reported strikes in Sanaa and around the port city of Hodeida, without providing casualty or damage reports. In Sanaa, strikes seemed particularly aimed at a mountainside known to host military installations. However, the Houthis have not acknowledged the aircraft being shot down in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have targeted approximately 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. The rebels justify their attacks on ships affiliated with Israel, the US, or the UK to compel an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the attacked ships have little or no relation to the conflict, including some heading to Iran. The Houthis have also increasingly targeted Israel with drones and missiles, resulting in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.
