In the high-stakes waters of the Red Sea, where U.S. forces are daily engaging Iran-backed Houthi terrorists, the U.S. Navy suffered a costly setback Monday: an F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet and its tow tractor were lost overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman.
According to Navy officials, the jet was being towed in the carrier’s hangar bay when crew members suddenly lost control.
Both the fighter and the towing tractor plunged into the sea. Thanks to the quick thinking of the sailors involved, no lives were lost. All personnel are accounted for, though one sailor sustained a minor injury.
Still, the price tag is staggering. An F/A-18E Super Hornet is valued at more than $60 million, and this latest mishap follows a troubling trend: it’s the third aircraft-related incident linked to the USS Truman in recent years.
In July 2022, another F/A-18 fell overboard off the coast of Italy during an unexpected squall. In December 2024, a Super Hornet was accidentally shot down in a “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea.
And in February 2025, the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near the Suez Canal—a mishap that cost the ship’s captain his command.
Early reports suggest that Monday’s mishap may have occurred after the carrier took sharp evasive action to avoid a potential Houthi threat. The Red Sea remains a volatile zone.
Since President Donald Trump’s launch of a full-scale military campaign against the Houthis in March 2025, U.S. Central Command reports over 800 strikes against enemy targets, as the carrier strike group plays a pivotal frontline role.
The Truman, backed by its formidable Carrier Air Wing 1, the USS Gettysburg, and three guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 28, remains fully mission capable, according to Navy statements. Fighter jets, bombers, drones, and surface ships are sustaining an unrelenting operational tempo despite the costly loss.
