The USS Truman during a rudder check in 2009 | Photo: Ricardo Reyes / Digital US Navy
US aircraft carrier USS Truman came under Houthi fire, forcing it to abruptly manoeuvre, causing a $60-million jet fighter to fall overboard.
The US Navy released a statement on Tuesday indicating initial reports from the aircraft carrier were forced to make a hard turn to evade a Houthi attack, causing the sailors on board the Truman to lose control of the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday claimed they had launched a drone and missile attack on the USS Truman, which is currently in the Red Sea, participating in a US military operation against the Iran-backed rebel group.
A US Navy official told CNN that all personnel aboard the carrier were accounted for, although one sailor had sustained a minor injury.
“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft,” the spokesperson added.
“The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” they said. “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”
Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, told CNN that carriers use “zig-zag” tactics when trying to avoid a missile attack. “You typically do a series of alternating 30- to 40-degree turns. Each takes about 30 seconds each way, but the turn starts sharply. It is like riding in a zig-zagging car,” Schuster said.
The Truman has repeatedly been targeted in attacks by the Houthis. In early 2024, a US destroyer in the Red Sea had to use its last line of defense to missile attacks, when a Houthi-fired cruise missile got as close as seconds from impact.
