The United States has arguably the best and most experienced combat air forces on the planet. The US has four of them, in fact: The US Air Force, as well as air forces serving the Army, the Navy and the Marine Corps. The US Navy also maintains both a surface and sub-surface navy second to none. However, these facts do not mean that there are no inherent dangers to be found in combat operations, including the risk of poorly named “friendly-fire” incidents.
One of those incidents happened this past weekend when a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, the USS Gettysburg (CG-64), accidentally shot down an F/A-18 F Super Hornet over the southern Red Sea. This aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 11, the “Red Rippers,” operating from the USS Harry S. Truman, CVN-75, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. When not onboard the Truman, the Red Rippers squadron is home port based at Naval Air Station Oceana, near Norfolk, Virginia.
America has extensive experience with guided missiles used offensively and defensively onboard ships dating back to the late 1950s, but even our latest generation of radar targeting systems and incredibly sophisticated missiles run the risk of what the military prefers to call “blue on blue” incidents, as there is nothing “friendly” about “friendly fire.”
Fortunately, the F/A-18’s ejection system was able to whisk the two crewmen safely away from the exploding missiles. Both crew members were recovered successfully. One crew member experienced minor injuries.
The aircraft involved in this blue-on-blue incident was based aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, CVN-75, the eighth of the Nimitz class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The plane had just launched on what was presumed to be yet another strike against the Houthi Rebel forces in Yemen when it was accidentally shot down. The Truman and its battle group are currently operating in the Red Sea, and have conducted several strikes against Houthi-related targets in Yemen since their recent arrival in the Southern Red Sea area.
Hellbound and Down 