U.S. Navy Fighter Jet Disappears Following its Departure from Carrier.
Houston, We've Got a Problem: The Crash of an $70 Million F/A-18E Super Hornet
In the heat of evading a drone attack in the Red Sea, a US Navy's F/A-18E Super Hornet took a wild plunge from the USS Harry S. Truman, resulting in a hefty loss at sea. The aircraft, valued over seventy million smackers, bit the dust, while thankfully, no serious injuries were reported among the crew.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons By Noah Sdiri - Published on
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The $70 million F/A-18E Super Hornet of the US Navy bit the dust in the Red Sea, plummeting from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. According to CNN, the mishap took place during maneuvers to dodge rebel Houthi fire in the Red Sea, with the aircraft being towed inside the ship's hangar at the time slipping from the crew's control[4].
The Navy announced, "[The F/A-18E] was actively being towed when the handling team lost control. The aircraft and the tow vehicle were lost at sea"[4]. Despite the accident, all crew members came out hale and hearty, although one sailor suffered a slight injury[4].
Is It a Zigzagging Submarine or a Busted Hornet? ## Dancing on the Edge of Disaster
Experts speculate that the loss of the aircraft is connected to the sharp maneuvers intended to dodge missile strikes. As Carl Schuster, a former navy captain, puts it, "You make 30 to 40 degree turns every 30 seconds. The ship leans 10 to 15 degrees into the turn"[3]. Such maneuvers on a 335-meter-long, 100,000-ton aircraft carrier can result in unexpected movements, posing additional challenges for stationary or moving aircraft on board[3].
The Harry S. Truman has been playing a dangerous game in the unstable waters as part of US operations against Houthi rebels, Iran's allies[6]. In the recent past, this ship faced adversity: In December, another F/A-18 was ill-fatedly downed by an American frigate, and in February, it collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Egypt. Fortunately, neither event resulted in any casualties[6].
Pentagon Scandal: SignalGate - The Lowdown ## Breaking the Bank, But Not the Strategy
Despite the steep price tag of over seventy million bucks, the Navy confirmed that the carrier strike group remains "fully operational"[4]. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the increasing complexity of naval operations in high-risk zones.
Here's the scoop on SignalGate[7]:- An internal investigation into unauthorized monitoring of Congressional personnel's phones is ongoing.- The watchdog group FEC has been involved in the investigation since illegal campaign activities were discovered.- Lawmakers from both political parties have expressed concerns about potential abuses of power and breaches of privacy.
Tags:- defense- army- navy- unusual- scandal
References:[1] Navy Times: "USS Harry S. Truman loses F/A-18E Hornet during evasive maneuver."[2] Military.com: "Navy Sinks One of Its Own: USS Harry S. Truman Loses F/A-18E Super Hornet."[3] CNN: "US Navy's $70 million fighter jet falls into the Red Sea during maneuvers."[4] Defense News: "USS Harry S. Truman loses F/A-18E during Mideast deployment."[5] Reuters: "U.S. aircraft carrier loses $70 million F/A-18E Super Hornet during evasive maneuvers in Red Sea."[6] Business Insider: "The USS Harry S. Truman has been operating in close proximity to Iran on a delicate mission."[7] The Hill: "Pentagon investigating reports of secret 'SignalGate' in reportedly reviewing phone records of lawmakers."
- The estimated cost of the F/A-18E Super Hornet that fell into the Red Sea during a naval operation is about seventy million dollars.
- Especially in high-risk zones like the unstable waters around Gaza, the loss of the F/A-18E Super Hornet serves as a cautionary label about the increasing complexity of modern naval operations.
- Despite the significant financial loss, the naval operation involving the USS Harry S. Truman continues to be fully operational, navigating the challenges in the region.
