On that eventful night, the US Navy's warship USS Gettysburg targeted an F/A-18 fighter jet with a SAM missile. In a twist of fate, another jet was almost caught in a similar peril. After mistakenly aiming for its own ally, Gettysburg fired a second surface-to-air missile targeting a different jet, which narrowly avoided collision, escaping by a mere 100 feet.
The second fighter jet successfully landed on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. This was not its first close call. Evading the missile required multiple defensive maneuvers. The incident occurred when US forces were conducting airstrikes on Houthi rebel outposts. Consequently, the training of the crew aboard Gettysburg has come under scrutiny, though the Houthis also claim missile responsibility.
Source: aajtak
The fighter jet in question is valued between 473 and 484 crore INR, depending on its variant. Recently, the US seems to be facing a bout of bad luck in the Red Sea, suffering significant monetary loss due to a simple mistake.
Features of the Fighter Jet
The F/A-18 fighter jet can accommodate two crew members: one pilot and a weapons systems officer. This aircraft, stretching 56.1 feet in length with a wingspan of 40.5 feet, weighs 10,433 kilograms when empty—devoid of arms and fuel. However, when prepared for battle, its weight escalates to 23,451 kilograms.
Source: aajtak
This jet can soar at speeds up to 1915 km/hr, with an operational ceiling of 50,000 feet. Over the ocean, its speed reduces to 1296 km/hr, though it possesses a total range of 2017 kilometers. During combat, its range decreases to 740 kilometers due to weapon load.
Armament that Strikes Fear
Armed with a 20mm Vulcan rotary cannon capable of firing 578 rounds per minute, the jet can also be equipped with a variety of nine different weapons, including 70mm Hydra 70 rockets or 127mm Zuni rockets.
Source: aajtak
For air-to-air combat, it can hold 2 AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on the wingtips or up to 8 AIM-9 Sidewinders on a double rack. Additionally, it can be armed with 4 ASRAAMs, 4 IRIS-Ts, 8 AMRAAMs on double racks, and also accommodate 2 Sparrow missiles.
The F/A-18 can deploy a wide array of air-to-surface missiles such as Maverick, SLAM-ER, ARM, JSOW, JASSM, or Taurus cruise missiles, along with choices from 11 different bombs. It can even be equipped with B83 or B61 nuclear bombs.
