Houthis Force USS Truman to Maneuver: F/A-18E Fighter Lost at Sea

The Houthis retaliated against U.S. air strikes by targeting the aircraft carrier USS "Harry S. Truman." Though the American ship itself escaped unscathed, the Yemeni militants can assert some degree of accomplishment—consequently, they caused the Americans to lose an F/A-18E Super Hornet multirole jet.

The American USS "Harry S. Truman" aircraft carrier After taking part in NATO exercises in the North Sea, it has been carrying out activities in the Middle East since autumn 2024. These activities encompass missions against the Houthis as well as securing safe passage through the Red Sea.

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Although the naval aviation force has successfully targeted Yemeni combatants, the U.S. forces have encountered some obstacles as well. One of these setbacks occurred when accidental downing by the American Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser , involving one of the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft aboard the USS "Gettysburg."

Subsequently, in February 2025, the a carrier crashed into another in the Mediterranean Sea With a commercial vessel, resulting in slight harm. Nonetheless, the most recent event demonstrated much graver outcomes.

The Houthis had previously tried to attack U.S. ships several times without success. However, on April 28, things took a different turn.

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Loss of an F/A-18E Super Hornet

The intended victim of the assault was the USS "Harry S. Truman" aircraft carrier As per the Defense 24 analysis, the menace probably wasn't identified or thwarted promptly by the vessels safeguarding the aircraft carrier.

Consequently, the ship had to make abrupt movements, and its deck was inadequately equipped for such actions. nuclear-powered carrier , able to reach speeds above 35 mph, can have significant inclination when making high-speed turns, as was probably seen during the Houthis' assault.

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As a result, an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the VFA-136 Knighthawks The squadron, which was being transported on the deck alongside the towing tractor, fell into the water and sunk. Even though the aircraft wasn’t directly damaged during battle, its loss is linked to the actions of the Houthis. For them, causing the downfall of such an expensive $60 million plane counts as a significant achievement.

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