A United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet was lost to the depths of the Red Sea after slipping off an aircraft carrier in a serious incident — though, fortunately, the pilot survived, according to officials.
The incident occurred Monday aboard the USS Harry S. Truman as the fighter, valued at roughly $56 million, was being hauled out of a hangar when the tractor towing it lost control.
According to Navy reports, both the Super Hornet and the towing vehicle ended up plunging into the sea.
Both the pilot and the sailor operating the towing tractor were able to jump to safety, with one of them suffering only a minor injury.
The USS Truman, along with its carrier strike group, has been on high alert due to persistent threats from the Iranian-backed Houthi terror organization in Yemen. The group remains deployed in the Red Sea, safeguarding commercial vessels that have come under repeated attack by the Houthis.
{Matzav.com}