Two US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent 'friendly fire' incident

The US military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels at the time.

Two US Navy pilots were shot down on Sunday over the Red Sea in what the U.S. military has described as a "friendly fire" incident. The two pilots, who ejected from their aircraft, were both recovered alive, with one suffering only minor injuries.

This event marks one of the most significant incidents involving US troops in over a year of American operations targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The incident occurred while the U.S. military was conducting airstrikes on Houthi positions. The downed aircraft, an F/A-18 Super Hornet, had just taken off from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. The strike came when the USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser part of the same carrier strike group, mistakenly fired on the aircraft.

The Gettysburg's crew had previously been involved in multiple engagements, including intercepting Houthi drones and missiles in the region. Despite the close coordination among ships in the strike group through radar and communication, the Gettysburg misidentified the US fighter jet.

The incident underscores the heightened risks in the Red Sea corridor, which has become increasingly dangerous due to ongoing Houthi attacks on shipping, despite efforts by US and European military coalitions to patrol the area. Since the arrival of the USS Harry S Truman in the region, the US has intensified its airstrikes against Houthi missile positions in Yemen, which has led to retaliatory attacks by the rebels on both military and civilian vessels.

Houthi forces have been targeting merchant vessels, including those with no direct ties to Israel, the U.S., or the UK, to disrupt international shipping. Their campaign, which has resulted in the sinking of two ships and the capture of another, continues to escalate tensions in the region. Additionally, the Houthis have been increasingly targeting Israel itself with missile and drone strikes, leading to Israeli retaliations.