An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet of the U.S. Navy has gone missing in the sea while returning from an airstrike on Yemen. This aircraft is one of the most advanced fighter jets in the U.S. Navy. Each unit of this model costs around $60 million (equivalent to 7.29 billion Bangladeshi taka).
Early on Monday (April 28), the aircraft fell into the sea while attempting to land on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman after carrying out the strike. However, the pilot successfully ejected and survived. The news was reported by CNN.
In a statement, the U.S. Navy said the fighter jet crashed into the sea while landing on the USS Harry S. Truman and was lost. This is the first incident of its kind.
A U.S. official stated that preliminary reports indicate the aircraft carrier made a sudden sharp turn to evade a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, causing the fighter jet to fall into the water.
CNN reported that after the U.S. airstrike in Yemen on Monday, Houthi rebels launched drone and missile attacks at the aircraft carrier. However, it remains unclear whether the attacks struck the vessel. One sailor was reportedly slightly injured.
The USS Harry S. Truman is currently deployed in the Middle East and was in the Red Sea at the time of the incident. Following the attack, the U.S. Navy said the carrier and its air wing remain "fully operational."
Continuing a series of recent strikes, early on Monday (April 27), U.S. forces carried out an air raid on Yemen’s northern Saada province. The strike destroyed a shelter housing African migrants, killing at least 68 people and injuring 47 others.
According to a statement from the Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry, the shelter was operated under the supervision of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Committee of the Red Cross. At the time of the strike, 115 migrants were present. The Houthis labeled the attack a “complete war crime.”
Footage aired on Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah television showed massive destruction at the site and the injured being taken to hospitals. The report noted that one missile dropped by a U.S. aircraft failed to detonate and was being deactivated by a specialized team.
According to Yemeni sources, the U.S. has carried out more than 1,200 airstrikes since March 15. These attacks have caused more than 1,300 casualties, most of them women and children.
In solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, Houthi armed forces have been targeting ships linked to Israel and its allies in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden since November 2023.
After around 15 months of conflict, the Houthis paused their attacks in January following a ceasefire in Gaza. However, they resumed targeting Israeli and Western vessels last month after Israel restarted its offensive in Gaza.
Both Israeli and U.S. forces continue to carry out strikes in Yemen, causing significant destruction and a rising toll of civilian casualties.
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