Splash One Hornet Pt 2
USS Truman
US Navy sinks $60 million jet in Red Sea while avoiding Houthi attack
Story by DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet was lost in the Red Sea after it fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier after the carrier made a hard turn to avoid a Houthi missile, according to initial reports and a Monday statement by the US Navy.
The announcement coincided with the Houthis’ claim on Monday that they launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier.
One sailor sustained minor wounds during the attack, the Navy confirmed. The sailor was reportedly in the cockpit of the jet but jumped out before it went overboard, an official told CNN.
The sailor in the bird is known as the Brake Rider for self-evident reasons- glad he got out with minor injuries. As for ship handling, heeling over on a sailboat is one thing, quite another on a 1000′ aircraft carrier.
USS Gerald R. Ford Conducts High Speed Turns
Category: Navy
Hack may not be first in Weekend Open Threads, but he’ll take what he can get.
I’m glad the brake rider got out, but for the rest of his Navy career, he’s gonna be “That Guy”.
Did he turn the radio down first so he could see better?
Doesn’t everyone do that?
Purple Heart?? On a serious note, I’m glad American aircraft carriers can out turn Houthi missiles.
An injury that is sustained due to enemy action could be a PH. I’ve definitely seen that.
I don’t think that would qualify for a PH. I thought it was direct enemy action like Gunshot, shrapnel, explosion, etc. Maybe the rules have changed since Vietnam.
Purple Heart criteria
https://www.recognizethesacrifice.org/purple-heart-criteria.html
Maybe a Purple Earring, a la Frank Burns?
Just make a mention…Today is the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.
Remember it well ! Time sure flies by quick.
And how.. The time goes by faster than a mailbag at a train whistle stop…
Today 60 years ago, we left Norfolk NOB for the D.R
I was 8 years old and we were stationed at Zaragoza AB, Spain. I remember hearing about it, as my dad was listening to the news on AFN radio. Didn’t know what it was all about then.
Mike
USAF Retired
Not something I will forget, and coming up on May 13th was the rescue of the Mayaguez on Koh Tang. The security forces lost one chopper in the operation to assemble the squads to go in. 23 lost before the battle. Last battle of the war. Finished my time at Udorn leaving in December. Some very good stories written about that operation. War officially ended May 7th, 1975. Breaks my heart to think of those lost.
Or…maybe it was shot down?
I don’t really get an aircraft carrier turning to make a supersonic missile miss…
Like the math ain’t mathing
Here’s the math: The USS Harry S Truman is 1092 feet long overall but only 252 feet wide, so a missile has only 23% the target area when approaching the ship from directly fore or aft than it would when approaching from abeam. In other words, when under fire, the ship needs to get small.
They probably launched a huge chaff cloud just before.
Want to bet some asshole Chief or officer is already accusing him of being responsible for the loss of the aircraft?
I think that due to the situation the crew was facing, they had to do what had to be done. No one will be in trouble. The ship was the bigger concern at the time.
Was a good boat
In the Navy!
Missing are the bofores, 20MM’s around the hanger deck like the WW2 Carriers for the ones that get past the screening Tin Cans.
Double oops.
Aviation is having one hell of a year for safety.
https://nypost.com/2025/05/07/us-news/navy-loses-60m-fighter-jet-off-uss-truman-in-red-sea-the-second-in-less-than-10-days-report/