The U.S. Navy has reported the loss of another F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet after it fell from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman into the waters of the Red Sea. The incident occurred on Tuesday during landing operations. This marks the second such occurrence involving the same carrier within a span of just over a week.
According to reporting by CNN, preliminary indications suggest a possible failure of the arresting gear — the system of cables designed to rapidly decelerate carrier-based aircraft upon landing. The two-person crew successfully ejected and was later recovered by a helicopter operating from the carrier. An official investigation is underway.
The earlier incident, which occurred a week prior, involved another F/A-18 that also fell into the Red Sea along with the tow vehicle moving it. That event reportedly took place as the ship executed a sharp evasive maneuver to avoid an aerial threat launched by Yemen’s Houthi forces.
On Tuesday, CNN also reported that the Houthis had fired missiles at USS Harry S. Truman, although it remains unclear whether there is any connection between the reported attack and the latest accident.
The F/A-18 Hornet, developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), is a twin-engine multirole combat aircraft capable of carrier-based operations. Each aircraft is valued at over $60 million. While newer Super Hornet variants are gradually replacing the older F/A-18s, many remain in frontline naval service.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. Their attacks have largely focused on ships linked to Israel or nations perceived as supporting Israel. The Houthis claim these operations are acts of solidarity with Palestinians, following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza.
In response to these threats, the U.S. military significantly increased airstrikes on Houthi positions beginning in March 2024. According to Pentagon sources and Reuters reporting, these operations have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Houthi militants. Nevertheless, the group continues to pose a serious risk to regional maritime traffic.
In a political twist, former President Donald Trump stated during a press conference on Tuesday that the U.S. will no longer conduct strikes against the Houthis. He claimed that the group had “capitulated” and promised to halt attacks on shipping.
“They said, ‘Please, stop bombing us and we will stop attacking your ships,’” Trump said, as quoted by Reuters. No official confirmation of this claim has been issued by the Department of Defense.
With a second high-value aircraft lost, the U.S. Navy is under pressure to assess the readiness of both flight operations and mechanical systems aboard forward-deployed carriers. The Red Sea continues to be a strategically critical and contested area, with implications for global shipping, international diplomacy, and the projection of U.S. military power in the region.
