The U.S. lost a plane during an attack in Yemen. Who was responsible for shooting it down?

On Saturday, December 21, a F/A-18 fighter jet belonging to the United States Navy was shot down over the Red Sea with two pilots on board. It turned out that they were downed by friendly fire.

This was reported by Associated Press. It was noted that both pilots were found alive after ejecting from their damaged aircraft, with one sustaining minor injuries.

"The shootdown underscores how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become due to ongoing attacks on shipping by Iran-backed Houthis, despite the area being patrolled by American and European military coalitions,” the report states.

The article also mentioned that at the same time as the incident, American forces were conducting airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. However, the U.S. Central Command did not specify the nature of their mission. On December 15, the Command acknowledged the arrival of the aircraft carrier Truman in the Middle East, from which the planes were launched, but did not clarify that the vessel and its battle group were in the Red Sea.

"The USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser in the strike group of the USS Harry S. Truman, mistakenly opened fire on the F/A-18 fighter and hit it,” Central Command stated.

Military officials indicated that the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to the "Red Rippers" of the 11th Strike Fighter Squadron, based at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia.

Media reports highlighted that it was not immediately clear how Gettysburg could have mistaken the F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially considering that ships in the battle group are linked through both radar and radio communications. At the same time, Central Command noted that military ships and aircraft had previously shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Previously, enemy fire from the Houthis had given sailors only a few seconds to make decisions.

As CNN reports, it is evident that the "friendly fire" incident occurred on the same day that the U.S. conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting a missile depot and a command and control center in the capital, Sana’a.

The Times of Israel reports that explosions were heard in Yemen on the evening of December 21. The U.S. Central Command confirmed that airstrikes were carried out, noting that the targets were a missile storage facility and a command post controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

This was expected to degrade the militants' ability to carry out attacks similar to those aimed at U.S. military vessels and commercial ships in the southern Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.

Additionally, according to CENTCOM, during the operation, Central Command forces also shot down several UAVs and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

"This attack reflects the unwavering commitment of Central Command to the defense of the United States and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping,” the statement said.

Recall that earlier "Telegraph" reported that in the summer of this year, Ukrainians destroyed a Houthi sea drone in the Red Sea.