The pilots were located alive after ejecting from their aircraft.
Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday in what the U.S. military described as an apparent "friendly fire" incident.
Both pilots survived after ejecting from their aircraft, though one sustained minor injuries.
The incident highlights the persistent risks in the Red Sea corridor, where Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on shipping continue despite patrols by U.S. and European military coalitions.
The U.S. military reported that the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, assigned to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 11, based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia.
According to Central Command, the F/A-18 had just launched from the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. While Central Command announced on Dec. 15 that the Truman had entered the Middle East, it did not specify that the carrier and its battle group were operating in the Red Sea.
"The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and struck the F/A-18," Central Command stated.
It remains unclear how the USS Gettysburg could have misidentified the F/A-18 as an enemy aircraft or missile, especially given that ships within a battle group are typically interconnected via radar and radio communication systems.
US Military Carries Out Successful Airstrikes Against Houthi Rebel Forces in Yemen
The USS Gettysburg (CG 64), a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, navigates the Mediterranean Sea on December 15, 2024. (AP)Central Command reported that U.S. warships and aircraft intercepted and shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Previous Houthi attacks have forced sailors to make split-second decisions under pressure.
Since the arrival of the USS Harry S. Truman, the U.S. has intensified airstrikes targeting Houthi forces and their missile launches in the Red Sea and surrounding regions. However, the presence of the U.S. carrier strike group in the area could provoke additional attacks from the rebels.
On Saturday night and into Sunday, U.S. warplanes carried out airstrikes that rocked Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control for a decade. According to Central Command, the strikes targeted a "missile storage facility" and a "command-and-control facility."
Houthi-controlled media confirmed airstrikes in Sanaa and near the port city of Hodeida but did not provide details on casualties or damage.
The Houthis later confirmed the downing of the aircraft over the Red Sea.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, the Houthis have targeted approximately 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones.
The group claims to attack ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. to pressure an end to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which began after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. However, many of the vessels targeted have minimal or no connection to the war, including some bound for Iran.
Additionally, the Houthis have increasingly launched drones and missiles at Israel, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by Israeli forces.
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