F/A-18 Super Hornet Falls Off USS Truman in Red Sea Mishap

An F/A-18 Super Hornet was lost at sea on Monday after falling overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman while the aircraft carrier was operating in the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy confirmed. The jet, valued at over $60 million, was being towed in the hangar bay when the crew lost control, sending both the aircraft and tow tractor into the sea.

Sailors took quick action to avoid injury, though one crew member sustained minor wounds. All personnel have been accounted for, and an investigation is underway.

Despite the incident, the Truman Carrier Strike Group and its air wing remain fully mission-capable. The carrier has been conducting daily airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, part of an aggressive U.S. campaign launched on March 15 that has hit over 800 targets.

This marks the second F/A-18 loss involving the Truman in the current conflict. In December, another Super Hornet was downed in a suspected friendly fire incident involving the cruiser USS Gettysburg.

The Houthis, who claim recent attacks on the carrier, have escalated strikes on Red Sea vessels in solidarity with Hamas following the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.