US shoots down two of its own navy pilots over Red Sea in ‘apparent friendly fire’ incident | US military

Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday in an “apparent friendly fire incident,” the U.S. military said, in the most serious incident to threaten the military in more than a year. The country targets Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Two pilots were rescued after ejecting from the crashed plane, one of whom suffered minor injuries. But this incident highlights the dangers of this event red sea corridor Despite ongoing attacks on shipping by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, U.S. and European coalition forces patrol the area.

The U.S. military carried out air strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen at the time, but the military’s Central Command (Centcom) did not elaborate on what their mission was.

Central Command said the downed F/A-18 had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. On December 15, Central Command acknowledged that the Truman had entered the Middle East but did not specify that the aircraft carrier and its battle group were located in the Red Sea.

“The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly opened fire on and hit an F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement. The incident is under investigation. middle.

According to the military’s description, the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter belonging to the “Red Ripper” Strike Fighter Wing 11 of the Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

It is unclear how the Gettysburg mistook the F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially since the ships in the battle group were still in contact via radar and radio communications.

However, Central Command said warships and aircraft had earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. In the past, enemy fire from the Houthis has given sailors only seconds to make a decision.

Since the Truman took office, U.S. steps up air strikes against Houthis Their missiles were fired into the Red Sea and surrounding areas. However, the presence of a group of U.S. warships could trigger a new wave of insurgent attacks, as happened earlier this year against the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The deployment marks what the Navy says is the most intense fighting since World War II.

On Saturday night and early Sunday, U.S. warplanes carried out airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which the Houthis have controlled since 2014. ” and “command and control center” facilities.

Houthi-controlled media reported attacks in areas around Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, but did not provide any information on casualties or damage. In Sana’a, the attacks appeared to be particularly targeting hillsides known to be home to military installations. The Houthis later admitted that the plane was shot down over the Red Sea.

Since the incident, the Houthis have targeted about 100 commercial ships with missiles and drones. The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip Starting October 2023.

The Houthis seized one ship, sank two vessels and killed four sailors in a battle. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by the U.S.- and European-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, including by Western warships.

The rebels insist they target ships with links to Israel, the United States or Britain in an effort to pressure Israel to end Hamas’ operations in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked had little to do with the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis have also increasingly targeted the Israeli mainland with drones and missiles, leading Israel to carry out retaliatory air strikes.