$60 Million Navy Fighter Jet Falls Into Red Sea From USS Harry S. Truman During Towing Operation

A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet, valued at approximately $60 million, was lost overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier while being towed in the Red Sea on Monday. The incident occurred as sailors maneuvered the aircraft within the hangar bay of the nuclear-powered carrier, which is currently deployed in the Middle East.

According to the Navy, the mishap took place during a standard towing operation when the crew lost control of the aircraft. The jet, along with the tow tractor, slipped from the hangar deck and fell into the sea. The crew member operating the tow vehicle and the one positioned in the jet’s cockpit were able to escape before the equipment plunged into the water. One sailor sustained a minor injury, and all personnel involved have been accounted for.

The lost aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136. Fighter jets such as the F/A-18E are frequently repositioned within the hangar deck to accommodate flight operations and maintenance procedures. The Navy has not yet confirmed whether salvage operations will be initiated to recover the sunken jet.

The USS Harry S. Truman, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has been stationed in the region for several months and has played a central role in increased U.S. military activity against Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. The operations, directed by U.S. Central Command, have included a range of coordinated strikes using fighter aircraft, bombers, naval vessels, and drones.

The aircraft carrier’s current deployment had already been extended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by approximately one month. Earlier in February, the Truman was involved in a separate maritime incident, colliding with a merchant vessel near the Suez Canal in the Mediterranean Sea. While no injuries or flooding were reported at that time, the commanding officer, Capt. Dave Snowden, was relieved of duty following the incident.

Commissioned in 1996, the USS Harry S. Truman is the ninth nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy. Measuring 1,092 feet in length, the vessel is capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots and supports over 6,000 personnel, along with approximately 90 aircraft.

Despite the loss of the jet, the Navy has confirmed that the carrier strike group and its air wing remain “fully mission capable” and operationally ready.