A US Navy fighter jet was lost overboard from the USS Harry S Truman after an apparent emergency manoeuvre to evade a Houthi missile, raising new concerns about the threat posed by the Yemen-based rebels. The Navy confirmed an F/A-18E Super Hornet and its towing vehicle plunged into the Red Sea on Monday after the towing crew “lost control” during operations in the hangar bay.
Both the sailor inside the Super Hornet and the sailor driving the tow tractor escaped before the aircraft went overboard. One sustained a minor injury, according to a defence official. The Navy’s statement referred to the incident as an accident during a towing operation — but analysts have suggested there may be a more serious cause. Charles Lister, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the loss was “alarming,” adding: “It implies that a Houthi missile evaded detection &/or interception & got close enough to USS Truman to force an emergency evasive manoeuvre.
“A 1st, as far as public reporting goes.”
If confirmed, it would mark the first known instance of a Houthi missile penetrating US defences to such a degree that it forced a carrier strike group into evasive action.
The USS Truman has been operating in the Red Sea for months, carrying out daily airstrikes against Houthi targets. Its deployment was extended by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year amid concerns about the rebels’ growing missile and drone capabilities.
It remains unclear whether there will be an attempt to recover the $60 million Super Hornet from the sea. The incident is under investigation.
The Navy has not commented on whether a missile threat triggered the sudden movement leading to the jet’s loss.
However, the incident has raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of US ship defences against increasingly sophisticated Houthi attacks.