The Navy will almost certainly launch a recovery effort to retrieve the F/A-18 Super Hornet from the bottom of the sea.

The U.S. Navy lost a $60 million fighter jet after it fell overboard during carrier operations in the Red Sea. 

The F/A-18 Super Hornet fell into the sea while the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier was conducting evasive maneuvers—likely in response to a Houthi missile threat.  

How Does a Plane Fall Off an Aircraft Carrier?

On Monday, an F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet fell into the Red Sea while sailors were towing the aircraft toward its hangar.  

“[The] USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) lost an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 and a tow tractor as the aircraft carrier operated in the Red Sea, April 28,” the U.S. Navy said in a press release detailing the incident. 

According to the Navy, the fighter jet “was actively under tow in the hangar bay” when the crew that was moving it lost control of the Super Hornet.  

“The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the Navy stated. Fortunately, despite the accident, all personnel were quickly accounted for, with a sailor suffering a minor injury.  

According to initial reports from the ground, it appears that the USS Harry S. Truman was making aggressive evasive maneuvers to avoid incoming Houthi missiles when the F/A-18 and its tow tractor fell overboard.

“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard,” the Navy stated—adding that an investigation was already underway to determine what led to the loss of a $60 million fighter jet.

The Iranian-backed Houthi militant group has been attacking commercial shipping and warships in the region for months. The U.S. Navy has deployed significant assets in the region to counter the Houthi threats to international shipping.

The Navy was quick to stress that in spite of the aircraft’s loss, “The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and embarked air wing remain fully mission capable.” F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fighter jets have been taking the fight to the Houthis on a regular basis, intercepting missiles and suicide drones.

America’s Second F/A-18 Fighter Lost Against the Houthis

The aircraft carrier’s operations against the Houthis in the Red Sea have been quite eventful.  

Curiously, Monday’s accident marked the second F/A-18 Super Hornet lost during the campaign against the Houthis. On December 21, the USS Gettysburg, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet during night operations. That aircraft was also assigned to the USS Harry S. Truman.

Then, in February, the Truman suffered damage after it mistakenly collided with a merchant vessel near the Suez Canal in Egypt. The Navy fired the aircraft carrier’s commanding officer soon after the incident. It is yet unclear if it will pursue similar action for the loss of the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

The Navy will almost certainly launch a recovery effort to retrieve the F/A-18 Super Hornet from the bottom of the sea. The service has plenty of experience in that regard. In recent years, the Navy has recovered or assisted in the recovery of a Navy F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter jet that crashed in the Indo-Pacific and a Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II that crashed in the Mediterranean. Recovering fighter jets and other aircraft is important to deny adversaries the ability to study and replicate classified technology contained onboard.

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP. 

Image: Shutterstock / Miguel Lagoa. 

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