$70M Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet Falls Off USS Harry S. Truman Into the Red Sea

The U.S. Navy has confirmed that an F/A-18E Super Hornet — one of America’s premier fighter jets — fell off the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and sank into the Red Sea on Monday, April 28.

According to the official report, the $70 million aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, along with the tow tractor moving it, plunged overboard while the carrier operated in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

Both personnel managed to jump clear in time, with only one sustaining a minor injury, according to officials.

“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.

It continued, “Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”

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Officials said recent Houthi attacks directed at the ship had nothing to do with the jet mistakenly rolling off the ship

The Truman carrier was involved in another incident earlier this year when it collided with a merchant ship near the Suez Canal. Its commanding officer was subsequently fired.

The carrier was slated to come home last month, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth extended its deployment while ordering another carrier — the USS Carl Vinson — to the region to bolster military power.

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) lost an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 and a tow tractor as the aircraft carrier operated in the Red Sea, April 28. Full statement here: https://t.co/6WVScLKiRj

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 28, 2025