Fox News reports: US nearly fired on another allied aircraft
A source from the US Navy has reported that an F/A-18 jet came close to being shot down by the USS Gettysburg near the coast of Yemen. Read Full Article at RT.com
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A missile cruiser has reportedly targeted two of its own F/A-18 jets during operations against the Houthis in Yemen, according to Fox News, which cited a military source.
On Saturday, the USS Gettysburg mistakenly fired on a plane from the carrier Harry S. Truman, as confirmed by the US Central Command. The pilot and navigator of the F/A-18 Super Hornet managed to eject and were unharmed.
Additionally, a second Super Hornet was also targeted by a missile from the Gettysburg while it was preparing to land on the Truman, a source told Fox News on Tuesday. The SM-2 missile came alarmingly close, within 30 meters of the F/A-18, which had to execute evasive actions, as reported by Fox.
“The cruiser almost shot down two friendly jets,” the source stated.
The US Navy acknowledged that the Gettysburg had launched a second SM-2 missile and is currently investigating whether this missile was aimed at the second jet.
In a statement on Sunday, Central Command explained that the cruiser had “mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman,” but did not mention the second aircraft involved.
However, the source told Fox that this information was incorrect, clarifying that the downed aircraft had been trying to return to the carrier after refueling jets involved in the strikes on Yemen.
“It was a tanker crew returning to land on the carrier about 10 miles out. They recognized the missile was guiding and punched out about three seconds before the missile hit the jet,” the source described.
The source also revealed that Navy pilots were “angry” over the incident and expressed concerns about the “insufficient” training of the missile cruiser’s personnel. Following the friendly-fire event, the Truman reportedly refrained from conducting any strikes against Yemen.
Initially, CENTCOM reported that US ships had intercepted multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea during the operation. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for downing the US F/A-18.
The Shia group, which controls a significant portion of Yemen, has been targeting commercial vessels associated with Israel for months, aiming to pressure West Jerusalem to halt its military actions against Palestinians in Gaza. Following commencement of Anglo-American air and missile strikes in January, the Houthis expanded their focus to include US and UK vessels, including warships.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
On Saturday, the USS Gettysburg mistakenly fired on a plane from the carrier Harry S. Truman, as confirmed by the US Central Command. The pilot and navigator of the F/A-18 Super Hornet managed to eject and were unharmed.
Additionally, a second Super Hornet was also targeted by a missile from the Gettysburg while it was preparing to land on the Truman, a source told Fox News on Tuesday. The SM-2 missile came alarmingly close, within 30 meters of the F/A-18, which had to execute evasive actions, as reported by Fox.
“The cruiser almost shot down two friendly jets,” the source stated.
The US Navy acknowledged that the Gettysburg had launched a second SM-2 missile and is currently investigating whether this missile was aimed at the second jet.
In a statement on Sunday, Central Command explained that the cruiser had “mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman,” but did not mention the second aircraft involved.
However, the source told Fox that this information was incorrect, clarifying that the downed aircraft had been trying to return to the carrier after refueling jets involved in the strikes on Yemen.
“It was a tanker crew returning to land on the carrier about 10 miles out. They recognized the missile was guiding and punched out about three seconds before the missile hit the jet,” the source described.
The source also revealed that Navy pilots were “angry” over the incident and expressed concerns about the “insufficient” training of the missile cruiser’s personnel. Following the friendly-fire event, the Truman reportedly refrained from conducting any strikes against Yemen.
Initially, CENTCOM reported that US ships had intercepted multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea during the operation. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for downing the US F/A-18.
The Shia group, which controls a significant portion of Yemen, has been targeting commercial vessels associated with Israel for months, aiming to pressure West Jerusalem to halt its military actions against Palestinians in Gaza. Following commencement of Anglo-American air and missile strikes in January, the Houthis expanded their focus to include US and UK vessels, including warships.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
