Two U.S. Navy pilots ejected safely after being shot down from what appeared to be a “friendly fire” incident.

Both individuals were recovered alive, with one suffering minor injuries.

The incident occurred as the U.S. military conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, reports cited.

BREAKING🚨: US Central Command reports a friendly-fire incident over the Red Sea, where a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet from USS Harry S. Truman was accidentally shot down by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg. Both pilots ejected, were rescued, & one has minor injuries pic.twitter.com/psM5Hr5gqd

— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) December 22, 2024

Per ABC News:

Two U.S. Navy pilots ejected safely over the Red Sea after their F/A-18 fighter aircraft was mistakenly shot down early Sunday in what military officials are calling “an apparent case of friendly fire.”

One of the pilots has minor injuries, according to a news release from U.S. Central Command.

The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the aircraft, that was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman, according to the news release.

The military said a full investigation is underway.

The U.S. Navy has been patrolling the region for over a year to combat ongoing attacks on commercial ships from the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

🚨 #BREAKING: A U.S. F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet was just SH0T DOWN by a U.S. guided missile destroyer over the Red Sea

This pretty much sums up Biden’s military for you.

The Two Navy F/A 18F Super Hornet pilots were were able to eject, were thankfully rescued, and suffered… pic.twitter.com/9wDeRChX96

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 22, 2024

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen, on Dec. 21 Yemen time. CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden. During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea,” U.S. Central Command wrote.

“The operation involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s. The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping,” it added.

CENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by… pic.twitter.com/YRWWQJIweP

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 21, 2024

Fox News reports:

The military said the aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, according to Central Command. On Dec. 15, Central Command said the Truman had entered the Mideast, but did not specify that the carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.

“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.

It is unclear how the Gettysburg had mistaken an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, particularly since ships in a battle group are linked by radar and radio communication.