Two US Navy pilots shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident, US military says – Winnipeg Free Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the U.S. military said. The Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Both pilots were found alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shooting underlines how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become due to continued attacks on shipping by the Iran-backed Houthis, despite US and European military coalitions patrolling the area.

The U.S. military had been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen at the time, though the U.S. Army Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press.

FILE - A fighter jet maneuvers on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)
FILE – A fighter jet maneuvers on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

The downed F/A-18 had just flown off the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, Central Command said. On December 15, Central Command acknowledged that the Truman had entered the Middle East, but had not specified that the aircraft carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.

“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, accidentally fired at the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.

According to the Army’s description, the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

It was not immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially since ships in a battle group remain connected by both radar and radio communications.

However, the Central Command said warships and aircraft had previously shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Incoming hostile fire from the Houthis has historically given sailors just seconds to make decisions.

Since Truman’s arrival, the US has increased its airstrikes against the Houthis and its rocket fire in the Red Sea and surrounding area. However, the presence of a group of American warships could prompt new rebel attacks, such as what the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower saw earlier this year. That deployment marked what the Navy described as the most intense battle since World War II.

On Saturday evening and early Sunday, US warplanes carried out airstrikes that shook Yemen’s capital Sanaa, which the Houthis have held since 2014. Central Command described the attacks as targeting a “missile storage facility” and a “command-and-control facility.” ‘ without explaining.

Houthi-controlled media reported strikes in both Sanaa and around the port city of Hodeida, without providing information on casualties or damage. In Sanaa, the attacks appeared to mainly target a mountainside known to be home to military installations. The Houthis later acknowledged that the plane had been shot down in the Red Sea.

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) steams in the Mediterranean Sea, Dec. 15, 2025. (Kaitlin Young/US Navy via AP)
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) steams in the Mediterranean Sea, Dec. 15, 2025. (Kaitlin Young/US Navy via AP)

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