US Army: 2 Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent "friendly fire" incident

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, marking the most serious incident in more than a year into threatening troops during their offensives against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Both pilots were recovered alive and one suffered minor injuries, but the incident underlines how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become due to continued attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis, despite patrols by the military coalitions of the United States and Europe in the area.

The U.S. military had carried out airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the time, although the U.S. military’s Central Command did not elaborate on what its mission was and has not immediately responded to questions from The Associated Press.

The downed F/A-18 had just taken off from 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 carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.

“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired and hit the F/A-18,” Central Command detailed in a statement.

It is currently unknown how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially since ships in a battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communication. However, the Central Command explained that 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 given sailors only a few seconds to make decisions in the past.

Since the arrival of the Truman, the United States has intensified its air strikes against the Houthis and its missile launches into the Red Sea and the surrounding area. However, the presence of a group of American warships could provoke renewed attacks by rebels, such as what the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower saw last year. That deployment marked what the Navy described as its most intense combat since World War II.

Late Saturday night and early Sunday, U.S. warplanes carried out airstrikes that shook Sanaa, the Yemeni capital that the Houthis have controlled since 2014. Central Command described the strikes as targeting a “missile storage facility.” and a “command and control facility,” without giving further details.

Houthi-controlled media reported attacks both in Sana’a and around the port city of Hodeida, without offering information on casualties or damage. In Sana’a, the attacks appeared to target a mountain slope known to host military installations. The Houthis later acknowledged that the aircraft had been shot down in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have attacked around 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023 after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and took another 250 as hostages.

Israel’s prolonged offensive in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. The count does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The Houthis have captured one ship and sunk two in a campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by US-European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or have missed their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.

The rebels say they attack ships linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis have also increased their attacks on Israel itself with drones and missiles, resulting in Israeli aerial retaliation.