Navy finds ‘substandard’ practices, knowledge and other failures caused carrier incidents at sea

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy on Thursday released the results of its investigation into four incidents involving the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group during its deployment to the Middle East in late 2024 through earlier this year.

The incidents, which occurred between December 2024 and May 2025, involved the loss of three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets in the Red Sea and a collision between the carrier and a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt.

The investigation found that a trip wire failure, poor computer signaling, “substandard maintenance practices” and “overall low-level knowledge“ among some of the carrier group’s personnel contributed to the incidents, according to the report on the investigation. In December 2024, an accidental “friendly fire” incident involving two F/A-18s, where one was downed and the other was nearly missed, appeared to have occurred in part because of faulty combat systems, the report said.

In April 2024, a fighter jet and a tow tractor were lost because of a maneuver the carrier made to try to avoid incoming fire from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the report said.

As a result of the findings, the Navy is reviewing some systems and operations and will conduct more personnel training to try to prevent such incidents, according to the recommendations made in the investigation findings.

“The Navy is committed to being a learning organization,” the vice chief of naval operations, Adm. Jim Kilby, said in a written statement provided by the Navy.

The Navy has said there were no personnel casualties or major injuries related to the incidents.

The Navy’s report said its investigation found that a December 2024 “friendly fire” incident involving the shooting down of an F/A-18F Super Hornet by the USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser, was caused by a “lack of integrated training opportunities between USS Gettysburg and the Carrier Strike Group, lack of forceful backup on the cruiser, and lack of cohesion across the Carrier Strike Group.”

That lack of cohesion “contributed to the misidentification, and subsequent engagement, of the friendly aircraft and near miss of another,” the report said.

“The investigation for the F-18 loss in December 2024 was determined that a lack of reintegrated training opportunities between the USS Gettysburg and the Carrier Strike Group contributed to the misidentification and subsequent engagement of the US Navy aircraft,” Kilby said. “This was manifested through not following procedures, lack of forceful backup on the cruiser and lack of cohesion across Strike Group units.”

Before the incident, the Truman had spent “several hours” defending against Houthi-launched anti-ship cruise missiles and one-way attack drones, the report said.

The investigation also found that the USS Truman’s February 2025 collision with a merchant vessel was “avoidable,” according to the report. The team aboard the Truman failed to safely navigate past the vessel.

In addition, an April 2025 incident involving the loss of an F/A-18E Super Hornet and tow tractor was due to evasive maneuvers that the Truman took while responding to an incoming ballistic missile in the Red Sea, the report said. The investigation determined the aircraft brake system failed, in addition to “insufficient communication between the bridge, flight deck control, and hangar bay control.”

The investigation also found that a May 2025 incident involving another F/A-18 was caused by a failure of the trip wire aboard the USS Truman. Among the reasons, according to the report, were “substandard maintenance practices, substandard arresting gear, leadership and overall low-level knowledge” among the personnel operating the trip wire.