Egypt Daily News – The US Army’s Central Command said in a statement that a US Navy F/A-18 fighter plane was shot down over the Red Sea on Saturday, presenting the results of preliminary investigations into the incident and what exactly happened.
Central Command said in its statement that the incident occurred “apparently” with friendly fire.
US Central Command said that both pilots safely exited the F/A-18 and were recovered safely, and one crew member was slightly injured, according to initial estimates.
US Central Command said the F/A-18 was operating from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman when it was “accidentally fired upon by the destroyer USS Gettysburg.” The USS Gettysburg is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, part of the Truman aircraft carrier strike group, which entered Middle Eastern waters a week ago.
A full investigation is underway, while US Central Command has confirmed that the incident was not the result of hostile fire, and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have repeatedly made false claims of striking US warships operating in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The friendly fire incident comes on the same day that the United States carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The United States struck a missile storage facility and a command and control facility in the capital, Sanaa. During the operation, the United States also shot down one-way attack drones and an anti-aircraft cruise missile. For ships, according to US Central Command.
US Central Command said strikes on the Iran-backed rebel group included the use of Navy F/A-18 fighter jets, as well as US Air Force assets.
According to US military officials, the downed fighter jet was not part of the strikes in Yemen.
