US Navy Pilots Rescued After Friendly Fire Incident

Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down in an apparent friendly fire incident over the Red Sea on December 22, while engaged in operations against Yemen's Houthi rebels. Both pilots, flying a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, safely ejected and were rescued, with one sustaining minor injuries. The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the same carrier strike group, mistakenly fired on the fighter jet, raising questions about how such a misidentification occurred in a closely coordinated battle group. The incident underscores the escalating dangers in the Red Sea corridor, where the Iranian-backed Houthis have intensified attacks on shipping despite U.S. and European military patrols. Concurrently, the U.S. military conducted airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, including missile storage sites and command centers. The U.S. Central Command has launched an investigation into the friendly fire incident as the geopolitical tensions continue to affect maritime operations.