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The Guardian
29-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
US fighter jet rolls off aircraft carrier as ship reportedly swerves Houthi fire
US sailors had to leap for their lives when a fighter jet fell off a navy aircraft carrier that was reportedly making evasive maneuvers to avoid Houthi militant fire in the Red Sea on Monday. The F/A-18 fighter Super Hornet jet, along with the vehicle towing it into place on the deck of the USS Harry S Truman, rolled right out of the hangar and into the water, the navy said. Unnamed US officials indicated to CNN that the ship was swerving to avoid incoming fire from Yemen's Houthi rebel force. Carriers make a zig-zag maneuver when attempting to evade missile fire, causing them to list to one side. An official account of the ship's movements was awaited on Tuesday as an investigation was being carried out. The Truman has been patrolling in the Middle East for several months, and recently had its stint extended by the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth. It is one of two US aircraft carriers operating in the area, where US forces have been striking the Houthis on a near daily basis using fighter jets, bombers, ships and drones. '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,' the navy said. The jet was part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped out before the jet and the tug went into the Red Sea. Fighter jets are routinely towed around the hangar deck to park where they are needed. Monday's incident was the second F/A-18 operating off the Truman to be lost in six months, after one was shot down by the USS Gettysburg late last year. Associated Press contributed reporting
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Disastrous mishap on US carrier that leads to loss of $70M jet
By An F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hanger deck of an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, as sailors were towing the aircraft into place in the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman on Monday, the Navy said. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped out before the jet and the tug went into the Red Sea. According to a defense official, the sailor who jumped from the aircraft sustained a minor injury. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details. '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,' the Navy said in a statement. The jet was part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136. Fighter jets are routinely towed around the hangar deck to park them where they are needed for any flight operations or other work. It is unclear whether there will be an effort to recover the jet, which costs about $60 million. The incident is under investigation. The Truman has been deployed to the Middle East for months and recently has been involved in stepped-up military operations against the Yemen-based Houthi rebels. U.S. Central Command has said that the military has conducted daily strikes, which have been done by fighter jets, bombers, ships and drones. Blood stains, bodies, and children's toys could be seen among the rubble in the Bani Al Harith district in a video released by the Islamic extremist military group. The Houths' al-Masirah satellite news channel reported that eight people were killed in the strike, something not immediately acknowledged by Health Ministry officials. It appears to mark the latest escalation in the military campaign launched by Donald Trump last month as he seeks to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program. The American military has acknowledged carrying out more than 800 individual strikes from March 15 until April 15 as part of 'Operation Roughrider'. An overnight statement from the US military's Central Command said the operation has 'killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders'. They include top Houthi members associated with its missile and drone program, though they were not identified. 'Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis,' the Central Command statement said. 'The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime. We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region,' it added. The US is targeting the Houthis because of the group's attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on Israel. The Houthis also are the last militant group in Iran´s self-described 'Axis of Resistance' that is capable of regularly attacking Israel. Strikes also hit Yemen's Amran and Saada governorates during the night, the Houthis added. Two others were killed on Sunday, the Houthis said. Assessing the toll of the month-old US airstrike campaign has been difficult because the military hasn´t released specific information about the attacks, including what was targeted and how many people were killed. The Houthis, meanwhile, strictly control access to attacked areas and don´t publish complete information on the strikes, many of which likely have targeted military and security sites. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
Arab Times
29-04-2025
- General
- Arab Times
$60M fighter jet slips off US aircraft carrier, sinks into Red Sea
WASHINGTON, April 29, (AP): An F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, as sailors were towing the aircraft into place in the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman on Monday, the Navy said. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped out before the jet and the tug went into the Red Sea. According to a defense official, the sailor who jumped from the aircraft sustained a minor injury. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details. "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,' the Navy said in a statement. The jet was part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136. Fighter jets are routinely towed around the hangar deck to park them where they are needed for any flight operations or other work. It is unclear whether there will be an effort to recover the jet, which costs about $60 million. The incident is under investigation. The Truman has been deployed to the Middle East for months and recently has been involved in stepped-up military operations against the Yemen-based Houthi rebels. U.S. Central Command has said that the military has conducted daily strikes, which have been done by fighter jets, bombers, ships, and drones. The Truman's deployment has already been extended once by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by about a month.
Al Bawaba
29-04-2025
- General
- Al Bawaba
US F-18E jet crashed in Red Sea after towing mishap aboard Truman carrier
Published April 29th, 2025 - 07:07 GMT While unconfirmed social media accounts have linked the loss to evasive maneuvers prompted by a Houthi missile threat, the Navy said the fighter went overboard due to a towing mishap, not hostile engagement. ALBAWABA-A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet was lost overboard after slipping off the hangar deck of the USS Harry S. Truman during a towing operation in the Red Sea, the Navy confirmed Monday. The incident occurred while the aircraft was being repositioned inside the carrier's hangar bay. The tow team reportedly lost control of the jet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136, causing both the Super Hornet and the small tractor towing it to plunge into the sea. One sailor suffered minor injuries after jumping from the pilot seat moments before the aircraft fell overboard. Another crew member also had to leap from the towing vehicle to avoid harm. Defense officials, speaking anonymously, said the accident took place amid heightened operational intensity in the region. The Harry S. Truman has been actively engaged in recent military operations in the Red Sea targeting Houthi positions in Yemen. The Navy stressed that the jet was not in flight and was not struck by enemy fire. While unconfirmed social media accounts have linked the loss to evasive maneuvers prompted by a Houthi missile threat, the Navy said the fighter went overboard due to a towing mishap, not hostile engagement. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Major mishap on US aircraft carrier as $70 million F/A-18 fighter jet goes overboard
An F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hanger deck of an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, as sailors were towing the aircraft into place in the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman on Monday, the Navy said. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped out before the jet and the tug went into the Red Sea. According to a defense official, the sailor who jumped from the aircraft sustained a minor injury. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details. '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,' the Navy said in a statement. The jet was part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136. Fighter jets are routinely towed around the hangar deck to park them where they are needed for any flight operations or other work. It is unclear whether there will be an effort to recover the jet, which costs about $60 million. The incident is under investigation. The Truman has been deployed to the Middle East for months and recently has been involved in stepped-up military operations against the Yemen-based Houthi rebels. U.S. Central Command has said that the military has conducted daily strikes, which have been done by fighter jets, bombers, ships and drones. The Truman's deployment has already been extended once by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by about a month. It comes after US airstrikes in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa killed at least eight people overnight on Sunday, according to Houthi rebels. Blood stains, bodies, and children's toys could be seen among the rubble in the Bani Al Harith district in a video released by the Islamic extremist military group. The Houths' al-Masirah satellite news channel reported that eight people were killed in the strike, something not immediately acknowledged by Health Ministry officials. It appears to mark the latest escalation in the military campaign launched by Donald Trump last month as he seeks to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program. The American military has acknowledged carrying out more than 800 individual strikes from March 15 until April 15 as part of 'Operation Roughrider'. An overnight statement from the US military's Central Command said the operation has 'killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders'. They include top Houthi members associated with its missile and drone program, though they were not identified. 'Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis,' the Central Command statement said. 'The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime.' 'We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region,' it added. The US is targeting the Houthis because of the group's attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on Israel. The Houthis also are the last militant group in Iran´s self-described 'Axis of Resistance' that is capable of regularly attacking Israel. Strikes also hit Yemen's Amran and Saada governorates during the night, the Houthis added. Two others were killed on Sunday, the Houthis said. Assessing the toll of the month-old US airstrike campaign has been difficult because the military hasn´t released specific information about the attacks, including what was targeted and how many people were killed. The Houthis, meanwhile, strictly control access to attacked areas and don´t publish complete information on the strikes, many of which likely have targeted military and security sites.
