The F/A-18 was downed by the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg over the Crimson Sea
The US Navy inadvertently shot down its personal F/A-18 fighter jet in a pleasant fireplace incident over the Crimson Sea, the Pentagon introduced shortly after issuing a press launch about one other profitable bombing raid towards alleged Houthi targets in Yemen.
The F/A-18 was shot down by the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg after taking off from the USS Harry S. Truman plane provider, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed early Sunday morning. The 2 Navy pilots had been in a position to eject from the fighter jet and had been recovered safely, although one sustained minor accidents.
The incident occurred simply as American and British plane carried out contemporary bombing raids focusing on alleged missile storage websites and command services in Sanaa to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, in response to a CENTCOM press launch issued earlier on Saturday evening.
CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Towards Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Management Amenities in YemenTAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces carried out precision airstrikes towards a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 21, 2024
“Throughout the operation, CENTCOM forces additionally shot down a number of Houthi one-way assault uncrewed aerial automobiles and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Crimson Sea,” the US navy said.
“The operation concerned US Air Pressure and US Navy property, together with F/A-18s,” it famous.
Hours later, the US navy admitted that the USS Gettysburg “mistakenly fired on” the F/A-18 however didn’t specify which weapon was used to shoot down the jet. An investigation is at the moment underway to find out the precise circumstances of the incident. The commander of the cruiser serves because the air protection commander for the strike group, liable for detecting and neutralizing incoming threats.
American forces, together with a number of allies, have been conducting Operation Prosperity Guardian, a mission to guard service provider visitors within the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden from Houthi threats, for the previous 14 months. The group claims to have downed a number of MQ-9 Reapers, however the lack of the F/A-18 as a consequence of a pleasant fireplace incident marks the primary time a crewed American plane was misplaced through the mission.
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