December 22nd 2024.
On a sunny Sunday afternoon in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, chaos erupted in the Red Sea. Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down in what appeared to be a "friendly fire" incident. This marked the most serious threat to troops in over a year as the U.S. had been targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. Thankfully, both pilots were rescued and only suffered minor injuries after ejecting from their damaged aircraft.
The incident highlights the dangers of the Red Sea corridor, which has become a hotbed of activity due to ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis. Despite the presence of U.S. and European military coalitions patrolling the area, the attacks have not ceased. At the time of the shooting, the U.S. military was conducting airstrikes targeting the Houthi rebels, but did not disclose the specific mission. The Associated Press reached out for more information, but the Central Command did not immediately respond.
The aircraft that was shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet belonging to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 11, based in Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. It had just taken off from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier when it was hit. The Truman had entered the Middle East on December 15, but it wasn't until now that Central Command revealed the carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.
In a statement, Central Command explained that the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, had mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18. It's unclear how this mistake could have happened, especially with the advanced technology and communication systems linking ships in a battle group. However, Central Command did mention that earlier in the day, warships and aircraft had successfully shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile.
This is not the first time U.S. warships have come under fire from the Houthis. In fact, since the Truman's arrival, the U.S. has escalated its airstrikes targeting the rebels and their missile attacks in the Red Sea and surrounding areas. However, the presence of an American warship group could provoke even more attacks, as was seen earlier this year with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. This deployment was described by the Navy as the most intense combat since World War II.
The night before and early in the morning of the shooting, U.S. warplanes had conducted airstrikes in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, which has been under Houthi control since 2014. Central Command reported that the strikes targeted a "missile storage facility" and a "command-and-control facility," but did not provide further details. Houthi-controlled media also reported strikes in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, with no information on casualties or damage. The Houthis later confirmed that they were responsible for shooting down the aircraft in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have been targeting merchant vessels with missiles and drones since October 2023, when the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip began. The conflict started with a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, resulting in the death of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 250 others. As the violence continues, the death toll in Gaza has risen to over 45,000, according to local health officials. The Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two in their campaign, which has also claimed the lives of four sailors. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by U.S. and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or have failed to reach their intended targets, which have included Western military vessels.
The rebels claim that their attacks are aimed at ships linked to Israel or the U.S. or the United Kingdom in an effort to stop Israel's campaign against Hamas. However, many of the ships targeted have no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. The Houthis have also been increasingly targeting Israel itself with drones and missiles, leading to retaliatory airstrikes by the Israeli military. The situation in the Red Sea remains tense, with the threat of further attacks looming over the region.
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