A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet, valued at over $60 million, was lost at sea after it plunged off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea during operations against Houthi rebels. The incident occurred on Monday and resulted in a minor injury to one sailor, the Navy confirmed.
According to a statement from the Navy, Hornet was being towed within the ship’s hangar bay when the crew lost control, sending both the jet and the tow tractor into the sea.
“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the Navy said.
Emergency response prevented further injuries
“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. All personnel are accounted for, with one sailor sustaining a minor injury,” the Navy added.
The USS Harry S. Truman is currently deployed in the Red Sea as one of two U.S. aircraft carriers operating in the region. The carrier has been central to American military operations targeting Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.
Hard maneuver may have triggered the fall
Initial assessments suggest that the loss may have been caused by the ship executing a sudden evasive maneuver to avoid incoming fire from Houthi positions. CNN cited a second U.S. official confirming that the aircraft sank.
The F/A-18E Super Hornet, a key component of naval air power, had an estimated unit cost of $67 million as of 2021. The incident has prompted a full investigation, but operations aboard the Truman remain active.
Second jet lost in less than six months
This marks the second F/A-18 loss associated with the Harry S. Truman within the past six months. In a separate incident late last year, another jet was accidentally shot down by the USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser operating in the same strike group. Both pilots survived that mishap.
US strikes on Yemen draw criticism
The accident comes as the U.S. continues its campaign of airstrikes in Yemen. On Monday, Houthi-controlled media reported that at least 68 African migrants were killed in a U.S. strike on a detention center in the northern city of Saadah. An additional 47 were reported injured.
“The civil defense has announced that 68 African migrants were killed and 47 others wounded in the U.S. attack targeting a center for illegal migrants in the city of Saadah,” said Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
Iran condemned the strikes in a statement by foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, who described the attacks on civilian areas, infrastructure, and homes as “a war crime.”