There may be more to the story when the US Navy shoots down one of its own FA-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets. On Dec. 22, the USS Gettysburg identified an enemy aircraft, locked on its air defense radar, launched an SM-2 anti-aircraft missile from one of its vertical launch tubes, and splashed the hostile threat. There was just one problem: It wasn't a hostile enemy; it was a US Navy FA-18F tanker.
Navy Friendly Fire Incident?
The friendly fire shoot-down came while launching and recovering fighters attacking Iran-backed Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. As Real Clear Defense described the incident, "Both aviators were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken two-seat F/A-18F aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries." Reports emerging from those involved demonstrate that quick thinking on the part of the crew saved their lives. Though not confirmed by the US Navy, a posting on X by the aircraft's front seater that was shot down provided some context to what happened.
Providing aerial refueling support for the carrier strike group, the fighter, call sign FIG'S POV, was orbiting the ships in the Truman Strike Group. FIG's POV was at 17,000 feet altitude and moving at "about 300 knots in a descent towards final bearing" to recover on the carrier. It saw an SM-2 launch from Gettysburg and followed the trajectory as it climbed to the top of its arc. When the missile made flight correction to take up an intercept on the fighter, the Super Hornet's pilot and weapon systems operator ejected, not waiting for the missile to hit them.
Another F/A-18F aircrew, seeing the friendly fire incident, radioed other aircraft in the vicinity regarding the event when Gettysburg launched another missile. The second missile "reached the apex of its trajectory before descending, the pilot started thinking about bailing out of the aircraft, but then the missile's rocket motor seemingly burned out. Three seconds later, the missile passed within 100 feet to the left of the jet and exploded on the surface of the sea," The Aviationist reported. Without some good judgment from one aircrew and good fortune for the other, two F/A-18Fs and four crew members could have been lost. The question yet to be answered is why.
The answer may rest with events leading up to the USS Gettysburg's deployment to the Middle East. Until last September, the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser had been out of operation since 2015 for extensive modifications. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report revealed the modifications were not without complications. "Prior to the deployment, the ship's crew told us that parts continued to be a problem … According to the ship's crew, propulsion plant and electric system failures were key concerns for the USS Gettysburg deployment," the report stated. More from the GAO:
"Further, the cruiser is the Navy's only purpose-built air defense platform designed to perform the Air Defense Commander role. The Air Defense Commander is responsible for coordinating air defense for carrier strike groups, and the cruisers are more equipped to perform this function than any other ship class."
However, there were doubts among aircrews who depend on the Air Defense Commander not to shoot down friendlies about whether the USS Gettysburg was ready for the responsibility.
The Gettysburg was one of 11 Ticonderoga Class guided missile cruisers scheduled for significant modernization and system upgrades, but in the end, only three completed the program at a cost of $1.9 billion.
USS Gettysburg Not Ready for Prime Time
The GAO identified "significant quality issues implementing the cruiser modernization effort" and estimated the total program was 36% over cost and "experienced over 15 years of schedule delays." The Gettysburg completed modernization in February 2023, including sea trials; however, in January 2024, an official inspection found "several outstanding issues." Among those were observing "several elements of the weapons system were inoperable," the GAO said. The Navy had an additional "18 days at sea in Jun. 2024 … During this time at sea, USS Gettysburg completed a successful missile launch and intercept using its updated combat system software." There is no indication of subsequent successful missile launches and intercepts before the friendly fire incident.
Systems concerns were not the only issues with the USS Gettysburg. "Navy pilots are angry about the incident and question the training aboard the USS Gettysburg, the source said, calling it 'insufficient,'" Fox News reported. Though the root causes of the incident are yet to be determined, evidence indicates the USS Gettysburg may not have been ready for "prime time" combat in the Red Sea. Unfortunately, this incident is just one among many that cast doubt on the US Navy's ability to manage its ship-building programs to ensure warfighter capability and readiness. A thorough investigation of Gettysburg's modernization and weapon systems training needs to be conducted. Another friendly fire incident must not be repeated.
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