The U.S. Navy has suffered a costly blunder.
In an announcement, the U.S. Navy has revealed that its US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet was lost at sea after it fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier.
The incident occurred while the jet was being towed.
The U.S. Navy stated, “The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard.”
“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway,” added the Navy.
F/A-18 overboard: Navy crew loses control of fighter during tow, aircraft plunges into Red Seahttps://t.co/2zP4GaPypN pic.twitter.com/DxnSPtg6qL
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) April 29, 2025
The Navy has lost a $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier. A U.S. official said that initial reports from the scene indicated that the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet…
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 28, 2025
Check out what CNN reported:
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet has been lost at sea after it fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier while it was being towed on board, the Navy said in a statement on Monday.
A US official said initial reports from the scene indicated the Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard. Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed on Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier, which is in the Red Sea as part of the US military’s major operation against the Iran-backed group.
All personnel aboard are accounted for, and one sailor sustained a minor injury, the Navy said.
“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the statement said. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
A second US official told CNN that the aircraft had sunk. An individual F/A-18 fighter jet costs more than $60 million, according to the Navy.
US Navy carriers – the world’s largest warships at nearly 1,100 feet long and with a displacement of almost 100,000 tons – are surprisingly maneuverable for their size.
ADVERTISEMENTPowered by two nuclear reactors driving four propeller shafts, Nimitz-class carriers like the Truman can reach speeds in excess of 34 mph.
US Navy Super Hornet aircraft and tow lost at sea after going overboard off USS Harry S. Truman https://t.co/w0JBH2iHd4
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 29, 2025
Per The Washington Times:
A Navy fighter jet was lost in the Red Sea on Monday after going overboard during an apparent mishap aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, Navy officials said.
One sailor sustained minor injuries, officials said.
The incident comes amid the ongoing U.S. military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, in which the aircraft carrier and its support ships are playing a central role.As the Truman was operating in the Red Sea, officials said that an F/A-18E Super Hornet was being towed in the ship’s hangar bay. The crew then lost control of that aircraft, the Navy said in a statement.
“The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the statement said. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
Officials stressed that the carrier and its embarked air wing “remain fully mission capable.”
ADVERTISEMENTU.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said late Sunday that it has hit over 800 Houthi targets in Yemen over just the past six weeks.
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