12/04/2025
Navy Releases Probe Findings on USS Truman’s Turbulent Red Sea Deployment
In a deployment marked by relentless Houthi threats in the Red Sea, the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) faced a cascade of setbacks—from friendly fire to deck mishaps—that tested the limits of naval operations under combat stress. On Thursday, the U.S. Navy declassified summary findings from four independent investigations into incidents spanning December 2024 to May 2025. While no lives were lost and operations resumed swiftly each time, the reports highlight systemic strains: inadequate training, communication breakdowns, and the grind of high-tempo combat. All three F/A-18 Super Hornets involved remain unrecovered, likely lost to the depths.
1. Friendly Fire: F/A-18F Downed by USS Gettysburg (Dec. 22, 2024)
As jets returned to the Truman amid a Houthi barrage—downing two anti-ship missiles and two one-way attack drones—an F/A-18F Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 (“Red Rippers”) was misidentified as hostile and struck by a Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) from the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Gettysburg. The two-seat “buddy tanker” was on a refueling mission; both crew ejected safely, with one sustaining minor injuries.
The probe pinned the error on “lack of integrated training opportunities between USS Gettysburg and the CSG, lack of forceful backup on the cruiser, and lack of cohesion across the group.” A near-miss on another jet was also noted. No major injuries; crews were medically cleared quickly.
2. Collision with Merchant Vessel Besiktas-M (Feb. 12, 2025)
Near Port Said, Egypt, the Truman clipped the cargo ship Besiktas-M at 11:46 p.m. local time, tearing gashes in a starboard sponson near an aircraft elevator. No flooding, injuries, or propulsion issues ensued, but the damage lingered—temporarily patched with internal bulkheads in Souda Bay, Greece, before painting over it for a presidential event in October. Full fixes are slated for the carrier’s Refueling Complex Overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Investigators ruled it “avoidable,” citing the bridge team’s navigation failures. Capt. Dave Snowden was relieved of command on Feb. 20 for “loss of confidence,” with Capt. Christopher Hill stepping in temporarily from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
3. F/A-18E and Tow Tractor Overboard (April 28, 2025)
During evasive zigzags against an incoming ballistic missile, an F/A-18E from VFA-136 slipped from a tow tractor in the hangar bay and plunged over the side—taking the tractor with it. One sailor suffered minor injuries; the crew’s quick scramble averted worse.
The report blamed a “brake system failure” on the jet, exacerbated by “insufficient communication between the bridge, flight deck control, and hangar bay.” All actions followed procedures, but the combo proved fatal for the assets.
4. Arresting Wire Failure and F/A-18F Crash (May 6, 2025)
An F/A-18F from VFA-11 barreled off the deck after the #4 arresting wire snapped on landing, forcing the pilot and Weapon Systems Officer to eject into the sea. Helicopter crews from HSC-11 scooped them up with minor injuries; flights restarted within hours.
Root cause: A malfunctioning #4 starboard sheave damper, tied to “inadequate maintenance, low manning, limited knowledge, insufficient training,” and the “strained environment” of combat ops.
These probes, per the Navy, spotlight procedural gaps and the toll of sustained combat. A media roundtable with officials at 1 p.m. Thursday promised more details. In Kilby’s words, the Navy is “laser-focused on producing battle-ready Sailors” to ensure “the most lethal, combat-credible force possible.”
Inspired by The War Zone (Original Reporting: Howard Altman)
