$70 million F/A-18 fighter jet lost in a major incident on US aircraft carrier

An F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hanger deck of an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, as sailors were towing the aircraft into place in the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman on Monday, the Navy said.

The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped out before the jet and the tug went into the Red Sea. 

According to a defense official, the sailor who jumped from the aircraft sustained a minor injury. 

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details.

‘The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. 

‘The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,’ the Navy said in a statement. The jet was part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136.

Fighter jets are routinely towed around the hangar deck to park them where they are needed for any flight operations or other work. It is unclear whether there will be an effort to recover the jet, which costs about $60 million. 

The incident is under investigation.

An F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hanger deck of an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, as sailors were towing the aircraft into place in the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman on Monday, the Navy said

The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped out before the jet and the tug went into the Red Sea (pictured: US F/A-18 Super Hornet attack fighter jet taking off from the US Navy’s USS Harry S. Truman)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth extended the Truman’s deployment by around a month

The Truman has been deployed to the Middle East for months and recently has been involved in stepped-up military operations against the Yemen-based Houthi rebels. 

U.S. Central Command has said that the military has conducted daily strikes, which have been done by fighter jets, bombers, ships and drones.

The Truman’s deployment has already been extended once by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by about a month.

It comes after US airstrikes in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa killed at least eight people overnight on Sunday, according to Houthi rebels. 

Blood stains, bodies, and children’s toys could be seen among the rubble in the Bani Al Harith district in a video released by the Islamic extremist military group. 

The Houths’ al-Masirah satellite news channel reported that eight people were killed in the strike, something not immediately acknowledged by Health Ministry officials. 

It appears to mark the latest escalation in the military campaign launched by Donald Trump last month as he seeks to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program. 

The American military has acknowledged carrying out more than 800 individual strikes from March 15 until April 15 as part of ‘Operation Roughrider’. 

An overnight statement from the US military’s Central Command said the operation has ‘killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders’.   

They include top Houthi members associated with its missile and drone program, though they were not identified. 

US airstrikes in Yemen killed at least eight people on Sunday night, according to Houthi rebels

The apparent deadly strike in Sanaa marks the latest escalation in the military campaign 

‘Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis,’ the Central Command statement said.

‘The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime.’

‘We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region,’ it added. 

The US is targeting the Houthis because of the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on Israel. 

The Houthis also are the last militant group in Iran´s self-described ‘Axis of Resistance’ that is capable of regularly attacking Israel.  

The American military has acknowledged carrying out more than 800 individual strikes from March 15 until April 15 as part of ‘Operation Roughrider’

Strikes also hit Yemen’s Amran and Saada governorates during the night, the Houthis added. Two others were killed on Sunday, the Houthis said.

Assessing the toll of the month-old US airstrike campaign has been difficult because the military hasn´t released specific information about the attacks, including what was targeted and how many people were killed. 

The Houthis, meanwhile, strictly control access to attacked areas and don´t publish complete information on the strikes, many of which likely have targeted military and security sites.