The Pentagon reported that the US Navy accidentally shot down its own F/A-18 fighter jet in a friendly fire incident over the Red Sea, shortly after announcing a successful bombing operation against suspected Houthi targets in Yemen.

The F/A-18 was downed by the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg shortly after its launch from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, as confirmed by US Central Command (CENTCOM) early Sunday morning. Both Navy pilots managed to eject from the aircraft and were safely recovered, although one pilot sustained minor injuries.

This incident coincided with American and British aircraft conducting new bombing missions aimed at missile storage facilities and command centers in Sanaa, intended to disrupt Houthi operations, as detailed in a CENTCOM press release issued the previous night.

“During the operation, CENTCOM forces also intercepted multiple Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea,” stated the US military.

The operation involved assets from both the US Air Force and US Navy, including F/A-18s.

Later, the US military acknowledged that the USS Gettysburg “mistakenly fired on” the F/A-18, though it did not disclose the specific weapon used in the incident. An investigation is currently in progress to clarify the details surrounding the event. The cruiser’s commander is responsible for air defense within the strike group, tasked with identifying and neutralizing potential threats.

For the past 14 months, American forces, along with several allies, have been engaged in Operation Prosperity Guardian, aimed at safeguarding merchant shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from Houthi threats. While the group claims to have downed several MQ-9 Reapers, the loss of the F/A-18 due to friendly fire represents the first instance of a crewed American aircraft being lost during this mission.