A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet was accidentally shot down after a “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea over the weekend, but a source reportedly says a second jet was a mere 100 feet away from being struck by another U.

This post has been updated with additional information on the timing of the incident. Two U.S. Navy aviators are safe after their two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet was shot down by an American ship by mistake,

US Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged in a 22 December statement the investigation into the shoot-down of an F/A-18 over the Red Sea by a US Navy

The Super Hornet was flying over the Red Sea when guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg fired upon it, according to the CENTCOM statement. The jet had just flown off the deck of the aircraft carrier when the friendly fire incident occurred.

A $55.7 million F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft was shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent case of friendly fire, CENTCOM said in a statement.

The U.S. Navy's deployment of warships to the Middle East has been repeatedly described as the most intense naval combat the United States has seen since World War II, as the warships have come until intense missile and drone strikes launched by the Houthis.

On December 22, 2024, a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet operating over the Red Sea was mistakenly shot down by the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg in a friendly fire incident. Both pilots ejected safely;