If there were a punch card for launching jets into the ocean, the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman would be due a free smoothie. In an astounding display of ineptitude, another $60+ million F/A-18F Super Hornet slid into the Red Sea this week. This is the second time it has happened in two weeks.
The first time around, a mishap involving a tractor towing the pricy jet led to the jet and the tractor sliding into the sea. The latest Super Hornet met its unforced watery end when the arrestment system on the Truman failed during a landing, causing the fighter jet to somersault off the deck.
Thankfully, the pilot and weapons officer ejected, were scooped up by a rescue helicopter, and walked away with only minor injuries.
Navy Jet Falls Off the U.S.S. Truman For The Second Time In Two Weeks
The Red Sea is currently hellish, thanks to Houthi rebels firing off anti-ship missiles and drones to show support for Gaza. That prompted President Trump to launch Operation Rough Rider in March, a $1 billion attack that has hit over 1,000 Yemeni targets.
The Truman, which was launched in September of 1996, has racked up an impressive list of mishaps of late. In December 2024, an F/A-18F was shot down by a guided missile fired from a fellow U.S. Navy ship, the U.S.S. Gettysburg.
In February, the Truman struck a merchant ship near Port Said, Egypt. Despite all this, the Pentagon swears up and down that the Truman is “fully mission-capable.” If it were a car, Truman’s insurance company would have dropped it by now.
A ceasefire deal was recently struck with the Houthis, so maybe with some downtime, Truman can figure out how to stop being the bumbling Mr. Magoo of the US Naval fleet.
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