Third F/A-18 Jet Lost from USS Truman During Red Sea Operations

The USS Harry S. Truman lost another F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet on Tuesday when it went overboard during a failed landing attempt, according to U.S. defense officials.

This marks the third Super Hornet lost from the carrier since its deployment to the Middle East in September. All three incidents occurred during operations in the Red Sea and surrounding areas.

The latest aircraft, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 11, was landing on the flight deck when the arrestment failed, causing the jet to go overboard, according to a Defense official cited by Fox News.

Arrestment refers to the system in which an aircraft’s tailhook catches one of several steel cables stretched across the carrier’s flight deck to bring the jet to a rapid stop. It remains unclear which component of this system failed.

The pilot and weapons systems officer ejected from the jet and were rescued by a helicopter shortly after the incident. Both sustained minor injuries, according to CNN.

Last week, another F/A-18E fell overboard after the carrier made a hard turn to avoid missile fire from Houthi rebels. Earlier, in December, an F/A-18F was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg during a refueling mission.

Each Super Hornet costs between $60 million and $70 million.

The Navy and U.S. Central Command are investigating the latest incident and have not announced when the Truman will return from deployment.

The loss of the third F/A 18 jet follows President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. A defense official confirmed to CNN that the U.S. military received orders Monday night to suspend strikes against the Houthis.