2 US Navy Pilots Shot Down Over Red Sea in Friendly Fire Incident, US Military Says

Both pilots were rescued, one with minor injuries, after the ‘apparent case of friendly fire,’ U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

An F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet landing on the deck of the US Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, during a NATO vigilance activity Neptune Shield 2022 (NESH22) on eastern Mediterranean Sea on May 23, 2022. Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images

Two U.S. Navy pilots and one F-18 fighter plane were shot down over the Red Sea, which separates North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, in what officials say was a friendly fire incident.

Two pilots were rescued, one with minor injuries, after the “apparent case of friendly fire,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. Officials said the incident is being investigated, but did not provide more details.