On December 15, 2024, two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent 'friendly fire' incident involving the USS Gettysburg, which mistakenly fired on their F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet. Both pilots were recovered alive, with one sustaining minor injuries. This incident occurred during U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have been increasingly attacking shipping in the Red Sea. The U.S. military's Central Command confirmed that the pilots were part of the 'Red Rippers' of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 based in Virginia, underscoring the dangers in the Red Sea corridor amid ongoing conflicts involving the Houthis and U.S. military operations.
The situation in the region has escalated, with the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group recently entering the area to support intensified U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis. Since the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023, the Houthis have claimed to have targeted around 100 vessels, asserting that their attacks were aimed at ships linked to Israel and its allies. In response, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers conducted airstrikes on five underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas earlier in December, demonstrating the U.S.'s capability to strike deeply buried and fortified facilities.
In a related incident, a Saudi Patriot battery successfully shot down six Houthi ballistic missiles near the Yemeni border, showcasing the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militants. The Royal Saudi Air Force has deployed multiple systems to the Yemeni border to counter Houthi missile threats, which have included nearly 400 ballistic missiles and over 800 one-way attack unmanned air systems launched into Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2022. This highlights the complexities and dangers of military operations in the region, particularly as the U.S. and its allies continue to respond to Houthi aggression. [5b0fd7d9][1ca3ccaa][c001e561][e74387ca]