Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday in suspected “friendly fire,” the U.S. military said.

The pilots were found alive after ejecting from the aircraft, and one suffered minor injuries.

The incident illustrates the widespread dangers that remain in the Red Sea corridor as Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to launch attacks on shipping, despite U.S. and European coalition patrols in the area.

The U.S. military conducted air strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen at that time, but the U.S. Central Command did not specify what its mission was.

A fighter jet maneuvers on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS White D. Eisenhower in Redhead on June 11, 2024. (Associated Press)

The military said the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter belonging to the “Red Ripper” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

According to Central Command, the downed F/A-18 aircraft had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. On December 15, Central Command stated that the Truman had entered the Middle East, but did not specify whether the aircraft carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.

“The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly opened fire on and hit an F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.