U.S. Navy Loses F/A-18 In Red Sea

The U.S. Navy lost a Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet and a tow tractor at sea while underway in the Red Sea, the second F/A-18 from the carrier lost during its deployment following a December 2024 friendly fire incident.

The F/A-18E from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 was under tow in the carrier’s hangar bay on April 28 when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The tractor and the jet fell overboard in the incident, which injured one sailor.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group has been deployed to the region to conduct airstrikes targeting Houthi forces in Yemen for the past several months. The strike group includes nine squadrons comprising Carrier Air Wing 1, three guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 28 and the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Gettysburg.

On Dec. 20, 2024, an F/A-18F was returning to the carrier when the USS Gettysburg fired at the jet. The aircrew was able to eject before the fighter was shot down.

The Truman also sustained another mishap during this deployment. On Feb. 12, the carrier collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt.

The U.S. Navy has been struggling to deal with increased issues in the handling of aircraft, with ground handling and servicing accounting for more than one-third of the service’s overall mishaps, Naval Safety Command said.