A high-stakes episode of military escalation in the Red Sea has seen the US Navy lose an F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet and a tow tractor after both plunged into the sea from the USS Harry S. Truman. The aircraft carrier, part of Washington’s Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG), was reportedly executing a high-speed evasive manoeuvre to avoid a suspected missile attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday.
While the US Navy has confirmed the loss of the aircraft and minor injuries to one sailor, it has stopped short of directly attributing the incident to hostile fire. However, multiple media outlets, citing anonymous Pentagon sources, suggest that the carrier’s manoeuvre was prompted by an incoming missile barrage allegedly launched by the Houthis.
On the same day, the Houthi-aligned Yemeni Armed Forces claimed responsibility for a series of operations targeting US and Israeli-linked assets. In a statement, the group reported launching drones and missiles aimed at American forces in the northern Red Sea. They also announced strikes on Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel’s Negev region, as well as military sites in Jaffa and Ashkelon.
“Our Yemeni Armed Forces continue to support the oppressed Palestinian people and their resistance fighters strongly… We will never abandon Gaza, no matter the cost,” a Houthi statement read.
The loss of the Super Hornet—an aircraft valued at between $60 million and $70 million—comes amid rising regional instability. The Truman CSG has been conducting bombing sorties against Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation for their attacks on commercial and military vessels, particularly those linked to Israeli and US interests. The Houthis maintain that their operations are a direct response to the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, triggered by a Hamas-led raid in October 2023 that killed hundreds.
This is not the first mishap involving the USS Harry S. Truman in recent months. In December 2024, a guided missile cruiser accompanying the Truman—USS Gettysburg—accidentally shot down a US fighter jet launched for a bombing run over Yemen. Although the pilots survived, reports at the time indicated that a second aircraft narrowly avoided the same fate.
Additionally, in February 2025, the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt. The incident forced the carrier to undergo urgent repairs in Greece. Following the episode, Capt. Christopher Hill replaced Capt. Dave Snowden as commanding officer.
Despite its massive 333-meter frame, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is capable of executing sharp turns and tactical manoeuvres. Former Navy officers told CNN that such manoeuvres can cause the deck to tilt by as much as 15 degrees—enough to cause unsecured equipment, and even aircraft, to slip overboard.
Meanwhile, Houthi officials have called for international media to pressure the US administration—specifically naming President Donald Trump, who has recently taken a hardline stance on the Red Sea conflict. Houthi leader and President of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Mahdi Al-Mashat, demanded that video and sensor footage from the USS Truman between March 20–23 be released to the public.
“We call on international media, including American outlets, to demand that the criminal Trump and his failed leadership release the data… so that the American people can know the truth,” Al-Mashat said in a fiery statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Houthi sources claim that their forces have successfully deployed the Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile, which they say struck Nevatim Airbase in Israel and bypassed all interception systems. This claim, if verified, could mark a dramatic escalation in regional capabilities.
Also Read: Trump deploys the deadly B-2 Bombers in Diego Garcia, Iran and Houthis the target?
Amid the fog of war, the US continues its bombing campaign in Yemen, citing the Houthis’ threat to international shipping lanes, particularly in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis, meanwhile, have pledged to expand their operations until the siege of Gaza ends and Israeli airstrikes cease.
With incidents piling up and political stakes rising, Truman’s latest mishap may serve as a harbinger of deeper military entanglement in a conflict that continues to spill beyond Gaza’s borders.
