Two US pilots shot down by 'friendly fire' over Red Sea

A United States navy ship mistakenly shot down one of its fighter jets in a "friendly fire" incident over the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Saturday.

It was the most serious incident to impact US and European military coalitions that are patrolling the region to prevent attacks on shipping by the Yemen-based Houthi rebels.

What do we know?

CENTCOM said the aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet with two pilots onboard.

The plane was assigned to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

The jet had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, CENTCOM said, when the friendly-fire incident occurred.

"The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18," the US military said in a statement.

The two pilots survived after ejecting from their aircraft, though one sustained minor injuries, during Saturday morning's incident.

It wasn't immediately clear how the Gettysburg mistook a US warplane for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially as ships in a battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communication.

A full investigation has been launched, CENTCOM said.

US military leads campaign against Houthis

Around the time of the shootdown, the US military said it had launched airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Houthis, who have been carrying out attacks against commercial shipping in the region. 

CENTCOM said warships and aircraft had earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels.

The military also bombed Houthi positions near Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, hours after a Houthi missile wounded people in Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv. Further US strikes were launched early Sunday.

More than a year of Red Sea attacks

The Red Sea has become a hotbed of military activity over the past year as US and European forces fight back against the Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.

The Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the conflict between Israel and another Iran-backed militant group, Hamas , started in October 2023.

During that time, the Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two others in a campaign that killed four sailors.

Houthi militants have also targeted Israel itself with drones and missiles, resulting in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.

The US and Europe sent military groups to the Red Sea late last year to patrol the area and maintain security.

Earlier this year, another US aircraft carrier group, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, saw what the Navy described as its most intense combat since World War II.

mm/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)