Submit a comment
The US cruiser USS Gettysburg accidentally shot down a multi-role fighter jet assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman while the aircraft was on a mission in the Red Sea.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), the unit in charge of US military operations in the Middle East, said today, December 22, that the cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18F multi-role fighter jet assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman while the aircraft was on a mission in the Red Sea. The specific time and location were not disclosed.
"Both pilots ejected and were safely rescued. Preliminary assessments indicate one suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was not shot down by enemy fire and a full investigation is underway," CENTCOM said.
The US Naval Institute (USNI) later quoted US officials as saying the incident happened at 3am today (7am Hanoi time). The announcement did not reveal the unit operating the aircraft, but it seemed that the crashed aircraft belonged to Fighter Squadron 11, the only unit on the USS Harry S. Truman equipped with the F/A-18F model.
The US military previously announced that it had shot down several drones and missiles of the Houthi armed group in the Red Sea.
The Houthis began attacking ships passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in November 2023, claiming it was an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is conducting a campaign against Hamas.
The US, its allies and the European Union (EU) have set up separate task forces to deal with the Houthi attacks on cargo ships.
