US fighter jet worth $60,000,000 rolls off ship into sea

A US Navy fighter jet valued at more than $60million rolled off a ship and sank in the Red Sea.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet was on the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier and was being towed out of the hanger bay on Monday when ship crew members lost control.

Both the aircraft and tow tractor were ‘lost overboard’, according to the US Navy.

‘Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard,’ stated the Navy.

Two enlisted crew members – one in the jet and the other in the tractor – managed to jump out before the large objects dropped into the water. A sailor suffered a minor injury.

Despite the multi-million-dollar loss, the Truman Carrier Strike Group remains ‘fully mission capable’, according to the Navy.

A US official initially told CNN that the Truman made a hard turn to avoid strikes from the Iran-backed Houthis and that the move contributed to the jet rolling overboard.

The rebel group on Monday claimed responsibility for launching a missile and drone attack on the Truman.

But reports that Houthis fire led to the F/A-18E fighter jet falling into the water remain unconfirmed and an investigation on the cause is underway.

While in Yemen, the Truman has been targeted by the Houthis numerous times. In December, a F/A-18 from the Truman was ‘mistakenly’ shot down by the USS Gettysburg in the Red Sea and pilots safely ejected.

The Truman has been operating in the Red Sea since September. The carrier was supposed to return to the US in March, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth kept it deployed while ordering the USS Carl Vinson to head to the region.

It happened about a month-and-a-half after a E/A-18G Growler jet worth about $67million crashed at high speed into San Diego Bay in California. Both pilots ejected before the aircraft hit the water and were rescued.

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