December 22nd 2024.
On Sunday, tragedy struck as two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in an unexpected "friendly fire" incident. According to the U.S. military, this is the most serious incident to occur in over a year of America's involvement in targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. Thankfully, both pilots were able to safely eject from their aircraft and were recovered alive, with one pilot only suffering minor injuries.
This unfortunate event highlights the growing danger in the Red Sea corridor, where ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis have put U.S. and European military coalitions on high alert. At the time of the incident, the U.S. military had been conducting airstrikes against the Houthi rebels, although they did not specify the exact mission and were unable to provide further details when questioned by The Associated Press.
The aircraft that was shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet from the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 11, stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. It had just taken off from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, which had entered the Red Sea on December 15th. The carrier and its battle group had not been specified to be in the Red Sea until now.
Central Command released a statement explaining that the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, had mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18. It is unclear how the Gettysburg could have mistaken the F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially since ships in a battle group are connected through radar and radio communication.
However, Central Command did mention that warships and aircraft had previously shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile. The quick and constant threat of hostile fire from the rebels has made it a challenging and dangerous environment for sailors to make split-second decisions. In response to these attacks, the U.S. has increased its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and their missile fire in the Red Sea and surrounding areas.
The presence of an American warship group may also provoke the rebels to launch more attacks, similar to what happened earlier this year when the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was deployed. This deployment was considered the most intense combat for the Navy since World War II.
On the night of the incident, U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen that has been under Houthi control since 2014. Central Command described the strikes as targeting a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility, but did not provide any further information. Houthi-controlled media reported strikes in both Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, but did not mention any casualties or damage. Some sources claim that the strikes were aimed at a mountainside that is known to house military installations.
The Houthis have been targeting about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the 2023 Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which was sparked by Hamas' surprise attack on Israel. This war resulted in the death of 1,200 people and the taking of 250 hostages. The Houthis maintain that they only target ships with ties to Israel, the U.S., or the United Kingdom in an attempt to stop Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have no connection to the conflict, including some that were headed to Iran.
The Houthis have also been increasing their attacks on Israel itself, using drones and missiles. This has led to retaliatory Israeli airstrikes. In Gaza, Israel's ongoing offensive has resulted in the death of over 45,000 Palestinians, although it is unclear how many of them were civilians. The Houthis have also seized one vessel and sunk two others in their campaign, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. Some of their missiles and drones have been intercepted by U.S. and European-led coalitions or have failed to reach their intended targets, which have included Western military vessels.
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