Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday while flying over the Red Sea in an apparent “mutual attack” incident, the U.S. military said.
After a ship from the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group accidentally fired a missile at an F/A-18 Super Hornet, both pilots ejected from the aircraft and survived. Associated Press reported.
Central Command said the plane had just taken off from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman when it was attacked by guided cruiser missiles from Gettysburg.
Centcom's statement did not include an explanation of the friendly fire incident.
The Associated Press notes that the ships were part of the same battle group and would be linked by both radar and radio communications, further adding to the confusion about what happened.
The carrier group targeted Houthi rebels and shot down several drones and anti-ship cruise missiles fired by the rebels in the Red Sea region, the Central Command said.
USS Harry S. Truman entered the Red Sea region as early as December 15, after moving to the Mediterranean Sea in November. According to USNI News.
From Saturday night into Sunday morning, the United States carried out airstrikes on a mountainous region near Yemen's capital Sanaa, more than 240 miles from the Red Sea coast.
Since the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas conflict in October 2023, the Houthis have attacked around 100 commercial ships with missiles and drones.
According to the Associated Press, many of these ships are unrelated to the conflict.
