During an operation against Yemen’s Houthis, a missile cruiser reportedly engaged two of its own F/A-18 fighter jets.
A second U.S. Navy aircraft narrowly avoided a friendly fire incident during weekend airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, according to a Fox News report citing a military source.
On Saturday, the USS Gettysburg, a missile cruiser, mistakenly fired upon and hit a plane from the carrier Harry S. Truman, according to U.S. Central Command. The F/A-18 Super Hornet’s pilot and navigator ejected and survived.
A source informed Fox News on Tuesday that a second Super Hornet was targeted by a missile from the Gettysburg while preparing to land on the Truman. The SM-2 missile came within 30 meters of the aircraft, forcing it to perform evasive maneuvers, Fox News reported.
“The cruiser nearly shot down two friendly aircraft,” the source stated.
The U.S. Navy confirmed the Gettysburg fired a second SM-2 missile and is investigating whether it targeted the second jet.
In its Sunday statement, Central Command reported that the cruiser “mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman,” without mentioning the second near-miss.
Fox’s source, however, countered that the damaged aircraft was attempting to land on the carrier after refueling a jet that had participated in the Yemen strikes.
“It was a tanker crew returning to land on the carrier approximately 10 miles out. They detected the incoming missile and ejected about three seconds before impact,” the source told Fox News.
The source also indicated that Navy pilots were “angry” about the incident and questioned the “inadequate” training of the missile cruiser’s crew. The Truman reportedly ceased strikes against Yemen following the friendly fire incident.
CENTCOM initially stated that U.S. ships had shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea during the operation. The Houthis later claimed responsibility for downing the U.S. F/A-18.
The Shia group controlling much of Yemen has been targeting commercial vessels linked to Israel for months, attempting to pressure Israel to halt its offensive against Palestinians in Gaza. Following Anglo-American air and missile strikes in January, the Houthis expanded their operations to target U.S. and U.K. vessels, including warships.