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A second Navy fighter jet was nearly shot down by friendly fire in the Red Sea on Saturday (December 21), the New York Post reports.
Two F/A-18 Super Hornets were flying above the USS Gettysburg during anti-Houthi missions when a pair of missiles were launched from the ship. The first U.S. jet was struck by a missile, but the pilots ejected safely before the aircraft crashed, while the second managed to evade being struck.
The second jet was reported to be about 100 feet away from the missile before making a safe landing on the USS Harry S. Truman carrier, a source with knowledge of the incident confirmed to FOX News.
“It was a tanker crew returning to land on the carrier about 10 miles out,” a source told the outlet of the accidentally targeted jets. “They recognized the missile was guiding and punched out about 3 seconds before the missile hit the jet.
“The cruiser almost shot down two friendly jets.”
The Navy has launched an investigation into whether one of the SM-2 missiles accidentally targeted the second jet, as well as whether the USS Gettysburg turned off its guidance system prior to the incident took place, according to a report on the situation, which hasn't been confirmed by the Pentagon.