(Crankers) UPDATE: Some reports said it was friendly fire. Other reports say it was ‘likely’ friendly fire. At this point we are not 100% sure about that aspect. We do know the jet was shot down and two pilots had ejected safely.
Original report:
This was not supposed to happen. An F/A-18 Super Hornet was shot down by friendly fire over the Red Sea, causing both pilots to eject.
A military breaking news report on USNI News provided a statement from the U.S. Central Command:
TAMPA, Fla. – Two U.S. Navy pilots ejected safely over the Red Sea during the early morning hours of December 22 when their F/A-18 fighter aircraft was shot down in an apparent case of friendly fire.
The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64), which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman.
Both pilots were safely recovered. Initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries. This incident was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway.
There was no further information on this breaking news story at the time of publication.
Photo: Flikr, but it has since been deleted.