Two US Navy pilots shot down in the Red Sea by “friendly fire”

Two pilots of the to United States Navy were knocked down on the Red Sea Sunday in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the U.S. military said. Both pilots were rescued alive and one suffered minor injuries, but the incident underlines the dangers of the Red Sea corridor due to continued attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis, despite patrols by the military coalitions of United States and Europe in the area.

The US military had carried out airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the time, although the U.S. Army Central Command did not provide further details about what its mission was and has not yet 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. Trumanindicated the Central Command. 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, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Aircraft Carrier Strike Group, fired by mistake 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.

On Saturday night and early Sunday morning, American warplanes carried out airstrikes that shook Sanathe capital of Yemen that the Houthis have controlled since 2014. Central Command described the attacks as targeted at 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 Hodeidawithout offering information about casualties or damages. 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 hostage.

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 maintain that ships linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom are attacked 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.