For the second time in just over a week, a U.S. military jet was lost in the Red Sea after going overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the jet was landing on Tuesday, May 6, when the system that helps the aircraft stop on the runway failed, sending the multi-million dollar fighter jet into the sea.
What failed?
Military officials said based on initial reporting, it appears the tail hook failed to hook the wire that slows down the aircraft. That caused the jet to continue accelerating toward the bow upon landing, then go into the water.
Centcom said the two pilots who were on board the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet when the incident happened were able to eject before it went overboard. They suffered minor injuries and no one else was hurt.
Second incident in less than 2 weeks
This marks the second time in just eight days an incident like this has happened on the USS Harry Truman, which is stationed in the Red Sea as part of the U.S. response to attacks on the integral global shipping lane by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Last week, a $67 million F/A-18E slid into the water while the ship was conducting evasive maneuvers in response to Houthi threats, according to a U.S. official. One sailor suffered minor injuries in connection with that incident.
Why is the Truman stationed in the Red Sea to begin with?
For more than a year, the Houthis have been firing projectiles and launching drones at commercial and military ships in the Red Sea. They have said it’s a show of solidarity and support for Hamas in Gaza.
https://t.co/UKfMeWG6OR
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 27, 2025
The USS Truman is stationed there as part of the U.S.’ response to those attacks, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said will be “unrelenting” until hostilities cease.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have carried out more than a hundred attacks on vessels along the Red Sea shipping route.
When will the fighting end?
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the U.S. had reached a deal with the Houthis to halt American airstrikes against the group as long as it stops attacking American vessels in the Red Sea.
Last week, Hegseth extended the Truman’s deployment for another week to support ongoing operations against the Houthis, marking the second extension since Trump ordered strikes against the militant group on March 15.
