Another US fighter jet falls into the Red Sea
A second US fighter jet has tumbled from an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea, an official said on Wednesday, just over a week after another plane went overboard.
On Tuesday, an F/A-18F Super Hornet was landing on the flight deck of the USS Harry S Truman when the hook-and-wire arrest mechanism to slow it down failed, causing the aircraft to go into the sea.
'Both aviators safely ejected and were rescued by the search and rescue helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 11,' a defence official said in a statement. 'The aviators were evaluated by medical personnel and assessed to have minor injuries. No flight deck personnel were injured.'
The incident comes after another Super Hornet – which cost about $70 million each – fell off the Truman on April 28 when the crew that was towing it in the hanger lost control of the plane.
One sailor sustained a minor injury in that incident, when a tow tractor was also lost overboard.
Late last year, another F/A-18 operating off the Truman was lost after it was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser. Both crew survived that incident.
And in February, the Truman itself suffered damage when it collided with a merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt's Port Said.
In addition to the lost warplanes and damage, a US official said last week that seven MQ-9 Reaper drones – which cost around $30 million apiece – had been lost in the Yemen area since March 15.
The Truman is one of two US aircraft carriers operating in the seas around the Middle East.
US forces have been bombing Yemen's Houthi rebels since mid-March. But President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the Houthis had ' capitulated ' and the US would stop bombing them.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Pyramids celebrate first ever African title and set sights on competing with Al Ahly and Zamalek
Egyptian upstarts Pyramids celebrated a first ever African title on Sunday night – but their Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic admitted they still face a struggle to assert themselves domestically. Having secured a 1-1 draw away in Pretoria against Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg, the Egyptians were slight favourites heading into the decisive return game on home turf. And so it transpired, with their 2-1 win on the night sealing a historic 3-2 aggregate victory. Pyramids' goals came from Congolese striker Fiston Mayele in the 24th minute and defender Ahmed Samy 10 minutes into the second half. Sundowns managed to reduce the arrears with a goal from Ikram Reiners in the 75th minute, but the hosts saw the job through. Pyramids – who changed their name, moved to Cairo and won promotion to the Egyptian top flight seven years ago – were able to celebrate by far the biggest night since adopting their new identity. It was only their second trophy – after Egyptian Cup success last season – and came in just their second CAF Champions League campaign. They have been seeking to emerge from the shadow of Cairo giants Al Ahly and Zamalek, who have not only dominated Egyptian football but often the Champions League as well. 'When I started with the team last season, we played excellent football and had a long run of winning matches in a row but even then, this was not enough to be champion [in Egypt],' said Jurcic. 'This year again, we were very close but you know that Al Ahly is the best club in Africa, they are very good, they are very strong, and it's very difficult to compete against a club like them.' The 55-year-old Jurcic was delighted that his pre-match appeals for support led to a 30,000-strong crowd at Sunday's decider in the June 30 Stadium, usually largely empty for their games. Cairo's passionate football followers traditionally support either Al Ahly or Zamalek, with precious little affection for any of the other sides based in the city. 'I'm very grateful for the crowd that came today,' said Jurcic after lifting the trophy. 'Usually we get to the stadium 90 minutes before kickoff and there is no one here. 'It's disheartening for the players, and I find it's my job to transmit positive energy to try to get them up for the matches.' The former Croatia international, who played for his country when they finished third at the 1998 World Cup, patrolled the touchline like a man possessed, jumping up and down and cajoling his players throughout the 90 minutes of action. 'I believe that I can transmit my energy in a positive way, and I think that we can be competitive in the future with all the best teams in Egypt,' he added. 'But whether we can stay a force is something to see in the future.'
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Hamas says ready for indirect Gaza truce talks to resolve 'points of contention' in US proposal
Hamas has said it is ready to immediately begin indirect talks on the remaining 'points of contention' in a US ceasefire and hostage deal proposal, as mediators vow to increase efforts to reach a truce in Gaza. The group submitted its response on Saturday to the Gaza truce plan presented by Washington's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Hamas did not accept nor reject the deal, but Mr Witkoff called the response 'totally unacceptable'. He said it 'only takes us backwards' and called on Hamas to accept the proposal the US had presented. Hamas on Sunday said it was seeking to reach a deal that would ensure 'relief' for the people of Gaza and 'an end to the humanitarian catastrophe, ultimately leading to a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces'. The latest proposal to pause the war in Gaza comes after repeated attempts by mediators failed to achieve a breakthrough, with Israel resuming military operations on March 18 after the end of a two-month truce brokered by mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar. Sources told The National on Friday that Hamas was dissatisfied with the latest plan's lack of 'genuine guarantees' that proposed negotiations with Israel would lead to an end to the war and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. In its latest statement, Hamas thanked the Arab mediators for their efforts to end the fighting. Qatar and Egypt on Sunday said they were planning to step up efforts to reach a breakthrough in negotiations. 'Qatar and Egypt, in co-ordination with the United States of America, affirm their intention to intensify efforts to overcome the obstacles facing the negotiations,' the two mediators said in a joint statement. 'The two countries are also striving to swiftly reach a 60-day temporary truce, which would pave the way for a permanent ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.' On Friday, Israel announced that it would be blocking a planned visit by Arab foreign ministers to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. They had intended to discuss with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas moves regarding statehood. Israel's refusal to allow the visit embodies Israeli 'extremism and arrogance', Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday. His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was planning to meet Mr Abbas in Ramallah. The Israeli decision 'embodies and affirms its extremism and rejection of any serious effort for peace and for a diplomatic path', Prince Faisal said. Amid the deadlocked Gaza truce talks, Israel has been intensifying its military offensive in the territory. Army chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir on Sunday ordered an 'expansion' of the campaign into new areas in the north and south of the strip. Dozens of people were killed or injured in a shooting near a food bank in Gaza on Sunday, with witnessing saying Israeli troops opened fire on civilians collecting aid, an allegation the Israelis denied. The Red Cross reported a 'mass casualty influx' of 179 people at a field hospital in nearby Rafah, of whom 21 were declared dead on arrival. It said most had gunshot or shrapnel wounds. Survivors said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site. Over the past week, at least 39 Palestinians have been reported dead and more than 220 wounded while trying to collect food from new aid centres in Gaza, which are staffed by US private security guards. Officials and survivors say the Israelis have been drawing starving civilians into traps under the guise of humanitarian aid.
Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
US: Multiple people injured in Colorado attack; male suspect in custody
Police said a male suspect was taken into custody on Sunday after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, in what the FBI director described as a "targeted" act of terror. Information on the attack, which occurred near a walk to remember the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza, was 'very preliminary", Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said. But he noted the man was apprehended following calls to police dispatch of someone with a weapon who was 'setting people on fire". While FBI Director Kash Patel described the incident as a "targeted terror attack", Redfearn stressed it was too soon to speculate about a motive. 'We are not calling it a terror attack at this moment,' Redfearn said. 'This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street and this act was unacceptable,' he said. 'I ask that you join me in thinking about the victims, the families of those victims, and everyone involved in this tragedy.' He said some of the victims' injuries were consistent with burns. The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the United States over Israel's war in Gaza, which has spurred both an increase in antisemitic hate crime as well as moves by conservative supporters of Israel led by President Donald Trump to brand pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic. His administration has detained protesters of the war without charge and cut off funding to elite US universities that have permitted such demonstrations. The attack follows the arrest of a Chicago-born man in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C. Someone opened fire on a group of people leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that fights antisemitism and supports Israel. The shooting fuelled polarisation in the United States over the war in Gaza between supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. "We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that an incendiary device was thrown at walkers at the Run for Their Lives walk on Pearl Street as they were raising awareness for the hostages still held in Gaza," a statement attributed to Boulder's Jewish Community said. Colorado Governor Jared Polis posted on social media that he was closely monitoring the situation, adding that "hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable". Redfearn said he was not able to identify the suspect yet, noting that he had been taken to hospital. He added there were multiple injuries among the victims, ranging 'from very serious to more min".
