Investigations Into the “Harry Truman” Losses Reveal Collapse of U.S. Readiness Under Pressure From Sana’a Forces’ Operations in the Red Sea Explicit American Admissions: A Yemeni Missile Nearly Hit the Carrier, and Waves of Drones Overwhelmed Defenses

NYN | Reports and analyses

The U.S. Navy has revealed, in an extensive official report, unprecedented details regarding a series of incidents that struck the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group during its deployment in the Red Sea to confront Sana’a forces—a period that coincided with the 52-day intensive air campaign launched by the Trump administration against Yemen.

According to a report published by the U.S. Naval Institute website, the investigations—released Thursday—cover four serious incidents that occurred between late December 2024 and early May 2025. These incidents resulted in the loss of three U.S. F-18 fighter jets, in addition to direct damage to the aircraft carrier following a collision with a commercial vessel, and an admission that a Yemeni ballistic missile came dangerously close to striking the carrier.

The report shows that the pressure of Yemeni operations was the most influential factor in the collapse of readiness and coordination within the U.S. strike group, leading to “friendly-fire” incidents and a complete breakdown in air-defense systems.

Incident One: Friendly Fire Downs a U.S. Fighter Amid Yemeni Attack Waves That Overwhelmed Identification Systems

The downing of an F-18 Super Hornet by friendly fire from the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg is considered the most prominent incident investigated by the U.S. Navy. According to the findings, the cruiser’s crew was operating in isolation from the strike group and had not participated in planning meetings preceding the first airstrike on Yemen on December 21.

Documents show that the attack plan and its associated air-defense measures were not understood by the crew, coinciding with a malfunction in friend-or-foe aircraft identification (IFF) systems that had not been reported. As the airstrike began, the Yemeni response came “faster and more intense than expected,” with successive waves of suicide and anti-ship drones, resulting in 14 air-defense sorties over four hours instead of the six initially scheduled.

Under mounting pressure and conflicting orders, returning U.S. fighters appeared on radar as unidentified targets. The Gettysburg combat team believed they were Yemeni cruise missiles, and Commander Justin Hodges issued a direct order to launch two SM-2 missiles without verifying the target’s identity. The first jet was shot down, while the crew of the second survived by just 100 feet from the missile’s explosion.

One pilot described the final moments of the first aircraft, saying: “My God… are they shooting down a drone now?”before realizing he himself was the target.

The investigation attributed the failure to poor planning, degraded integration, and defensive confusion under the immense pressure of Yemeni operations, asserting that these conditions “weakened the combat capability of the entire group.”

Incident Two: “Harry Truman” Collides With Commercial Ship Under Fatigue and Combat-Operation Pressure

Two months after the friendly-fire incident, the Harry S. Truman collided with the commercial vessel Beshiktas M near Port Said while transiting toward the Suez Canal. The investigation conducted by Admiral Todd Willan concluded that poor seamanship, deteriorated training, and severe fatigue resulting from combat operations in the Red Sea directly contributed to the accident.

The report noted inaccurate bridge logs, disrupted communication among crew members, and a malfunctioning Automatic Identification System (AIS), which should have been fully operational in such a busy maritime corridor.

The collision caused aft-section damage to aircraft-handling equipment and parts of the hull above the waterline. A major human tragedy was narrowly avoided, as eight sailors were only three meters from the impact point; had the collision occurred 100 feet farther forward, it could have punctured a berthing compartment housing 120 sailors.

The Navy acknowledged that fatigue caused by continuous Yemeni attacks played a significant role in the errors committed.

Incident Three: Fighter Lost While Attempting to Evade a Yemeni Ballistic Missile

On 28 April 2025, the strike group lost a second F-18 while attempting to evade a medium-range ballistic missile launched by Sana’a forces. The investigation reveals that the carrier was performing a standard evasive maneuver, increasing speed to 30 knots with a series of consecutive turns.

During this maneuver, an unsecured aircraft inside the elevator began rolling due to a slippery deck and poor maintenance. The pilot and the tractor operator jumped clear before the aircraft fell into the sea. It was found that the non-skid coating in the hangar had not been replaced since 2018, and communication between the flight deck and hangar was weak.

The Associated Press reported that the carrier’s deck was “dirtier and more slippery than usual” due to the crew’s preoccupation with combat operations against Yemen.

Incident Four: Third Fighter Lost After Failed Landing Amid Unprecedented Operational Pressure

On May 6, just hours before the announcement of a bilateral ceasefire with Sana’a forces, the U.S. Navy lost a third F-18 after a failed landing attempt aboard the carrier. The investigation indicated that the rapid pace of operations, inadequate training, delayed maintenance, and reduced technical proficiency among arresting-gear crews contributed to a chaotic landing attempt that ended in flames.

The report revealed that flight operations were under unprecedented strain and that continuous Yemeni drone and cruise-missile attacks were exhausting the crew, causing numbness and distraction among sailors.

U.S. Analysis: Sana’a Government Forces Exposed Structural Weaknesses in the U.S. Navy

In a comprehensive assessment of the investigation results, the Associated Press said the picture of the Truman reflects forces operating at the “edge of collapse,” as regular Yemeni attacks wore down both crew and commanders. Analysts at the RAND Corporation confirmed that these incidents represent an alarm bell revealing the U.S. Navy’s lack of readiness for prolonged conflict, and that the threat posed by Sana’a forces—despite their limited capabilities compared to major powers—was sufficient to expose weaknesses in the American defense system.

The analysis stated that Yemeni pressure highlighted the fragility of America’s reliance on naval superiority and that the combat environment in the Red Sea imposed an unprecedented reality on an aircraft carrier considered one of the most capable vessels in the U.S. fleet.