A Navy fighter jet fell overboard Monday when the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier veered to avoid fire from the Houthis, according to two defense officials.
The military was using the $60 million jet as part of its weekslong campaign against Houthi fighters in Yemen, who have attacked commercial and military shipping in the waterway for the past two years.
The aircraft’s loss adds to the growing price tag in the effort against the Houthis, which has included seven MQ-9 drones shot down by the group over the past several weeks. The Houthis have brought down more than a dozen of the surveillance drones since October 2023, when they began attacking ships in the Red Sea to, as they said, help Hamas in its war with Stop the genocide committed by Israel. They cost more than $20 million each.
Yeah, I got the text from Hegseth when it happened. They’re clear on OPSEC though.
When I was a kid my dad didn’t properly tie down a lounge chair on the trailer. Although we didn’t lose the chair avoiding a Houthi attack, we did have to go back and pick it up on the highway.
So I can totally relate /s
The Houthis will claim your couch as a combat win anyway.
seven MQ-9 drones shot down by the group over the past several weeks. The Houthis have brought down more than a dozen of the surveillance drones (emphasis mine)
Wow, something tells me the military had some editorial input on this article. In all kinds of materials, including General Moseley’s own statements, the MQ-9 Reaper is a hunter-killer drone. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper)
I mean its possible they might actually be using them only for surveillance without anything on the hardpoints due to the larger range, but I like how the wikipedia file photo is a reaper carrying two hellfire AGMs and a fat paveway LGB for good measure.
“Surveillance” lol
Politico is desperately trying to get that USAID funding back.
Maybe the Reaper version is the optioned-up spec of the base MQ-9.
Missiles As A Service subscription tier.
Given that our ships there are carrying out terrorist attacks on Yemen, a nation that is puting material pressure to stop the genocide in Gaza. Something that is REQUIRED by international law.
Yeah. Good riddance. Hope all the US ships out there sink with all the aircraft.
Free Palestine.
Empire pumps so many resources into the MIC that planes are literally falling off their boats.
so glad this is where we put all our money into. not silly things like health or clean power or transportation. instead I say let’s invest another 300 mill and get ten replacements 😎😂
Is this some kind of insurance scam thing?
Would it cost more than $60 mil to recover it from the ocean?
It would definitely cost more than that to restore it after that dip.
If I was the US, I’d even send some depth charges after it to make sure the Chinese don’t go fishing.
The salt water would have a negative effect on it.
There might be a slew of still salvageable parts I would think. I guess the question is how salvageable, how complicated to recover, and how much those parts would be worth.
I guess that’s cheaper than loosing a whole ship.
I love it. Go Houthis*!
*Only applies to Israel-related activities.
You’re not wrong. Yemen is the only country (at least to this material degree) following international law requiring all nations to take every action possible to stop a genocide.
And then you have the US taking every action possible to ensure that genocide is continued in Gaza.
Houthis are in the right here.
