US warplane shot down in Red Sea 'friendly fire' incident

Washington: Two US Navy pilots were shot down on Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent "friendly fire" incident, the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. Both aviators were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken two-seat F/A-18 aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become, with ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalitions patrolling the area.

The US military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels at the time of the friendly fire incident, though the US military's Central Command did not elaborate on what the pilots' mission was. The F/A-18 that was shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier, Central Command said. On Dec. 15, Central Command acknowledged that Truman had entered the Mideast, but hadn't specified that the carrier and its battle group was in the Red Sea.

US launches investigation

"The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group, accidentally shot down and struck the F/A-18," Central Command said in a statement. "This incident is not due to hostile fire, and a comprehensive investigation is under way."

From the military's description, 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 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. While Central Command referred to both as pilots, typically a two-seat F/A-18 has a pilot and a weapons officer on board.

How did Gettysburg mistake a F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile?

It wasn't immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake a F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, particularly as ships in a battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communication. However, Central Command said that warships and aircraft earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Incoming hostile fire from the Houthis has given sailors just seconds to make decisions in the past.

Since Truman's arrival, the US has increased its strikes against the Houthis and their missile volleys into the Red Sea and nearby shore. But the presence of a US carrier strike group is almost certainly to raise fresh strikes by the rebels - like that which targeted the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower earlier this year. That deployment came in what the Navy similarly characterized as the most extreme combat for any of the service's task forces since World War II.

An American fighter jet was shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent "friendly fire" incident, the US military has said.

Both crew from the US Navy F/A-18 Hornet ejected safely, one suffering minor injuries, Central Command said.

The incident came after the US carried out a series of air strikes against a missile storage site and command facilities in the Yemeni capital Sanaa operated by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

US Central Command added it also hit multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

In a statement, US Central Command confirmed a "friendly fire" incident over the Red Sea.

"The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group, accidentally fired on and struck the F/A-18 while it was flying off the USS Harry S Truman," the statement said.

It is not clear whether the downed aircraft had been involved in the Yemen operation.

Earlier Central Command said the strikes against targets in Sanaa aimed to "disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.".

The US military said it also had struck "multiple Houthi one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, or drones, and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea" using "US Air Force and US Navy assets, including F/A-18s."

Who are the Houthis and why are they attacking Red Sea ships?

The Iran-backed rebel group, the Houthis, that controls northwest Yemen, began attacking Israeli and international shipping shortly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

Since November 2023, there have been two vessels sunk in the Red Sea and more that have been damaged from Houthi missile attacks. They have claimed - usually spuriously - to target only ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK.

Last December, the US, UK and 12 other nations launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect Red Sea shipping lanes against the attacks.