Latest news with #F18SuperHornet
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Second US Navy jet is lost at sea from Truman aircraft carrier
By Natasha Bertrand , Katie Bo Lillis and Zachary Cohen , CNN This photo from the US Navy shows a F/A-18F Super Hornet preparing for launch on the USS Harry S. Truman. Photo: US Navy / File via CNN Newsource Another F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier has been lost in the Red Sea, the second jet lost from the carrier in just over a week, five people familiar with the matter told CNN. It is not entirely clear what happened yet, as the investigation is ongoing, but two of the people said there was some kind of arrestment failure as the jet was trying to land on the carrier and the pilot and weapons systems officer had to eject. They were recovered by a rescue helicopter and are both alive, but they suffered minor injuries, one of the people said. The jet crashed into the sea and has not been recovered, two of the people familiar with the incident said. Separately, the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group "took a shot" at the Truman on Tuesday, four of the people said, despite US President Donald Trump announcing an apparent ceasefire with the group hours earlier. It is not clear whether the two incidents are related. The Office of the Secretary of Defense referred all questions about the incidents to the Navy and US Central Command. CNN has reached out to the Navy and CENTCOM for comment. The loss of the fighter jet comes one week after another F/A-18 jet fell overboard the Truman. That time, initial reports indicated that the Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard. An individual F/A-18 fighter jet costs more than US$60 million ($101m), according to the Navy. US Naval assets in the Red Sea have repeatedly come under Houthi fire since the Houthis began their attacks against Red Sea shipping in November 2023. In early 2024, a US destroyer in the Red Sea had to use its Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, its last line of defence to missile attacks, when a Houthi-fired cruise missile got as near as a mile away - and therefore seconds from impact. The Truman aircraft carrier in particular, though, has been plagued with problems as part of its Red Sea deployment. In December, another F/A-18 fighter jet was operating from the Truman when it was "mistakenly fired" upon by the USS Gettysburg and crashed into the Red Sea. Both aviators ejected safely at the time. Then, in February, the Truman was involved in a collision with a merchant ship near Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea. Following the incident, the commander of the Truman at the time, Captain Dave Snowden, was relieved of duty. Captain Christopher Hill took command of the carrier shortly thereafter. -CNN
Gizmodo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
The U.S. Navy Lost a Second $60 Million Fighter Jet in the Ocean
Planes are becoming a defining part of Donald Trump's second term. From close misses to actual collisions, air traffic has been a mess. But it looks like that chaos isn't limited to land. On Tuesday, the United States Navy lost a second fighter jet in the ocean. Although the two crewmen aboard only sustained minor injuries, it's still not a good look for the Trump administration. Five people familiar with the matter told CNN that the lost plane was an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet. Per CNN, the jet was attempting to land on the USS Harry S. Truman when it fell into the Red Sea. If that sounds familiar, it's because the Navy lost the same type of jet on the exact same aircraft carrier last week. Last time, the Navy said in a press release that the jet fell off after the USS Harry S. Truman came under fire from Houthi rebels. The most recent loss is still under investigation, but CNN reported that it was due to an issue with the arrestment system that helps military aircraft stop on a runway. Per NBC News, the tail hook didn't hook the wires to slow down the jet, so it continued accelerating into the water. Luckily, the pilot and weapons systems officer ejected themselves and were rescued by a helicopter. Still, that's a pretty damn expensive plane to lose. Per Navy documents, an F/A-18 Super Hornet starts at $67.4 million. That doesn't include any extras like adding weapons-related equipment. The Truman has had issues outside of planes falling into the water. In December, the USS Gettysburg accidentally shot down another F/A-18 fighter jet that was flying from the Truman. Although there were no casualties, the Washington Post reported that the incident raised concerns about communication amongst ships and jets in the area. Since taking office, Trump has been plagued by plane issues, including when an army helicopter crashed into a passenger plane at Reagan airport. Over sixty people died in that incident. The accumulation of collision or near misses comes amidst the Department of Government Efficiency firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees, including air traffic control support. The incidents with the Truman fall more under the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's jurisdiction. (Coincidentally, Hegseth has extended the Truman's deployment twice now.) However, Hegseth hasn't really been a stellar example of a government official with the Signalgate controversy, in which he shared details about the Yemeni campaign in an unsecured chat, taking up much of his time. He also reportedly had a makeup studio installed at the Pentagon so people could pretty themselves up for television appearances. But hey, that studio may come in handy if the Navy drops a third plane in the ocean.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Another $60M US Navy jet falls off USS Harry Truman and is lost at sea
A second U.S. Army jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier has been lost in the Red Sea, the second jet to be lost from the carrier in just 8 days, sources have said. The pilot and weapons systems officer were forced to eject after officials said the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet failed to catch the wire at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday and suffered an arrestment failure as it attempted to land on the carrier. Both aviators survived the incident but suffered minor injuries, said several people familiar with the matter to CNN. The carrier, which is usually stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, was deployed in the Red Sea eight months ago to defend against threats to shipping vessels by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group. Based on initial reporting, an official said the tail hook failed to catch the wire, slowing down the aircraft. The aircraft continued to accelerate toward the bow and subsequently plunged into the water, according to NBC News. The jet has still not been recovered after the crash, and an investigation is underway. Just over a week prior, another fighter jet, an F/A-18E Super Hornet worth $67 million, fell into the water from the carrier and was considered lost. A U.S. Navy statement on 28 April said: 'The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,' a statement read on April 28. One sailor sustained a minor injury. 'Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway,' it continued. Meanwhile, CNN sources said that the Houthis 'took a shot' at the Truman Tuesday, despite President Donald Trump announcing a ceasefire with the group hours earlier. "[The Houthis] just don't want to fight, and we will honour that and we will stop the bombings, and they have capitulated," Trump said, while he sat alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the White House. Officials have not said whether the missing jet incidents are related. The Houthi rebels began hijacking commercial ships in November 2023 and have since managed to sink two vessels, seize a third, and kill four crew members. US-led naval forces have managed to thwart several attacks.
