F/A-18 Super Hornet Downed By Friendly Fire Over Red Sea

The U.S. Navy is still trying to decide whether or not to recover the F/A-18 Super Hornet that was downed by a surface-to-air missile in an apparent friendly fire incident on December 22, 2024. Several factors are complicating the decision, including the possibility of Houthi attacks on salvage operations.

The aircraft was launched from the carrier USS Harry S. Truman and was conducting strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels when it was struck by a missile from the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the Harry S. Truman’s carrier group. The pilot and weapons system officer ejected from the aircraft and were recovered safely.

Although the Super Hornets are being phased out, the newer Block III aircraft have upgraded equipment such as an infrared sensing system and improved radar that adversaries might be tempted to recover. It is not yet known if the aircraft was a Block III or perhaps had upgraded equipment.

Steven Wills, a naval analyst with the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States said, “There would perhaps be sensitive material onboard … worth recovery, but it depends on the condition of the aircraft and where it went down in the Red Sea.”

The aircraft may have been destroyed, so salvage operations may not be warranted or even possible, but this too is unknown. In addition, the wreckage may be too scattered to recover efficiently. Further, although a large portion of the Red Sea is relatively shallow, there are deep trenches that would make salvage more challenging.

Wills continued, “Much of the Red Sea is relatively shallow ... but there are some deep trenches that are very deep. The U.S. has recovered downed intact aircraft in the past, but recovery of wreckage perhaps strewn over miles of seabed would be a challenge.”

FMI:  www.navy.mil