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The United States has lost another fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman during its deployment in the Red Sea.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, the US currently has a shitload of naval assets in the Middle East (specifically in the Red Sea) in an effort to counter Iran-backed Houthi militants who have targeted commercial and military vessels since late 2023. Since the US ramped up its campaign—now known as Operation Rough Rider—the Navy has suffered multiple costly equipment losses. These include at least three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets from the USS Harry S. Truman: one shot down accidentally by the USS Gettysburg in December, one that slid off the deck during evasive maneuvers last week, and another we will dive into below. Each Super Hornet costs roughly $70 million, bringing the total aircraft losses alone to over $180 million. In addition, multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones have been shot down by the Houthis over the Red Sea and Yemen, each valued at $32 million. By January 2024, at least five Reapers had been confirmed lost, totaling an estimated $160 million in drone losses.
What’s going on now: According to multiple news outlets citing US defense officials, the most recent F/A-18F Super Hornet loss occurred on Tuesday when the jet attempted to land aboard the Truman in the Red Sea and experienced an “arrestment failure”—a malfunction involving the aircraft’s tailhook system that is supposed to catch steel wires on the carrier’s deck to bring the jet to a stop. The aircraft overshot the deck and went into the sea.
Both the pilot and weapons systems officer safely ejected and were recovered by a Navy rescue helicopter with only minor injuries. CENTCOM later confirmed that the aircraft had not been struck by enemy fire and said that the incident is under investigation. The Navy has not yet retrieved the jet from the Red Sea, and officials have not disclosed whether mechanical error, human error, or procedural failures were to blame.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also addressed the incident, saying on social media that the Truman Carrier Strike Group “remains fully mission-capable,” despite the loss of the aircraft, and reiterated that there was no evidence of a Houthi attack in this particular case.
This mishap came just hours after President Trump announced that the Houthis had agreed to halt their attacks on US and commercial vessels in the Red Sea—a development that led him to declare a suspension of American airstrikes. Speaking Tuesday, Trump said, “They have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their word. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore.”
