A US fighter jet has been shot down after it was mistakenly hit by an American missile cruiser over the Red Sea.
Both pilots in the aircraft ejected and were rescued – one of them had minor injuries.
An investigation is under way after what the US military described as an “apparent case of friendly fire”.
It is believed to be the most serious incident to threaten US troops in more than a year of America targeting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
US Central Command said the F/A-18 Hornet was shot down soon after it had flown off the deck of the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier.
The two-seater plane was then struck by one of the carrier’s escort ships, USS Gettysburg.
It was not immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, particularly as ships in a battle group are linked by both radar and radio communication.
However, Central Command said warships and aircraft earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels.
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The Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones in solidarity with Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war started in October 2023.
The Hornet incident shows how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become over the ongoing attacks on shipping by Houthis despite US and European allies patrolling the area.
Yemeni soldiers guard Mohammad Ali al Houthi, the head of the Supreme Political Houthi Council, in Sanaa. File pic: AP
This weekend, US warplanes carried out airstrikes that shook the capital Sanaa, which the Houthis have held since 2014.
Central Command described the strikes as targeting a “missile storage facility” and a “command-and-control facility” but did not elaborate.
The downed fighter jet was thought to be a F/A-18 Super Hornet which is assigned to the Red Rippers of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
