In an April 28 press release, the United States Navy detailed that a F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet and a tow tractor fell off the U.S.S. Harry Truman aircraft carrier warship, and into the Red Sea.
The Navy disclosed that the fighter jet was “actively under tow in the hangar bay” when the aircraft fell overboard. Those moving the aircraft reportedly lost control and immediately cleared the area before the jet fell. The press release didn’t detail at which point the tow tractor went overboard.
The Navy noted that the incident is under investigation. The Naval Air Systems Command has previously said that an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet – built by Boeing – costs around $67 million per unit.
What Else Is There To Know About The Fighter Jet Falling Into The Red Sea?
According to the Navy, everyone present during the incident was accounted for, although one sailor sustained a minor injury. The armed forces branch added that “The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and embarked air wing remain fully mission capable.”
NBC News reported that Houthi rebels said they launched ballistic and cruise missiles at the U.S.S. Harry Truman and other U.S. warships on the day the F/A-18E Super Hornet and the tow tractor went overboard.
The Houthi reportedly said, “The Yemeni Armed Forces will persist to target and pursue the aircraft carrier and all enemy warships in the Red and Arabian Seas until the aggression against Yemen is halted.”
Additionally, CNN reported that a U.S. official said the Truman ship was evading the Houthi and making a turn, which may have played a role in the fighter jet’s fall. Separately, another American official told the publication that the F/A-18E Super Hornet sank.
A former U.S. Navy captain, Carl Schuster, explained how aircraft carriers move when evading a missile attack.
“You typically do a series of alternating 30-to-40-degree turns. Each takes about 30 seconds each way, but the turn starts sharply. It is like riding in a zig-zagging car,” detailed Schuster.
“The ship leans about 10 to 15 degrees into the turn, but it displaces the ship about 100 to 200 yards from any likely aim point,” he added, regarding top speed maneuvers.
