The U.S. Navy says two of its aviators were shot down over the Red Sea by friendly fire. It happened on Dec. 22, while U.S. forces were conducting airstrikes on the Houthis in Yemen.
Both of the aviators are recovering after they ejected from their two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet. The Navy said one suffered minor injuries.
The jet had just cleared the deck of the USS Truman when friendly fire from the USS Gettysburg took it down. The Gettysburg is a guided-missile cruiser and part of the USS Truman’s carrier strike group.
U.S. Central Command said in mid-December that the Truman was in the Middle East, but never mentioned it was carrying out operations in the Red Sea. The Navy said there will be a full investigation into the incident.
The Gettysburg carries the Aegis combat system, which is supposed to automatically identify and distinguish friendly forces from foes. There is also supposed to be a constant stream of radar and radio communication between all members of a strike group concerning flight operations on board the carrier.
The main question now is whether this was the result of human error or machine failure. Also, how does the Navy make sure this doesn’t happen again?
For more than a year, the U.S. and some of its allies have been battling the Houthis of Yemen who are attacking ships in the Red Sea. The combat was described as “the most intense the U.S. Navy has faced since World War II.”
Straight Arrow News will continue to monitor this developing story.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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