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How Did This Happen? F-18 Shot Down in the Red Sea in Friendly Fire Incident
townhall.com ^ | December 22, 2024 6:30 AM | Matt Vespa

Posted on 12/22/2024 6:31:48 AM PST by airdalechief

The good news is that the pilots are safe. There were no fatalities, but it could have been a tragic accident. We have confirmed reports of a friendly fire incident occurring in the Red Sea, where an F-18 fighter jet was blasted out of the sky. American forces have been conducting airstrikes in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The fighter jet was accidentally shot down by a cruise missile cruiser, which is under investigation. Both pilots were able to eject from the aircraft and rescued shortly thereafter (via USNI News)

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: blueonblue; centcom; cg64; cvn75; cvw1; getthepronounsright; needmoredeitraining; redsea; ussgettysburg; usstruman
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To: wildcard_redneck
"I can no longer take the claims of our government at face value, they have been lying about everything."

Give it a couple days. We'll be hearing the cause of the crash was a spark in a center wing fuel tank.

21 posted on 12/22/2024 8:15:54 AM PST by Joe 6-pack
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

I was wondering about the IFF my own self.

On the other hand, incidents of friendly fire go back to all wars.


22 posted on 12/22/2024 8:27:48 AM PST by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that almost all of big media is AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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To: VTenigma

I wonder, does MODE 5 have a DO NOT REPLY interrogation to sniff out imposters? What little I know about MODE 5 is from open sources. I have never seen any MODE 5 classified documents, but I suppose the DNR message should be an obvious safeguard.


23 posted on 12/22/2024 8:37:59 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets
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To: libertylover

I know of three incidents from the Gulf War involving Patriot, who I believe was responsible for all the coalition air casualties in Gulf War I. One was an RAF major flying outside of designated air lanes who had turned off his transponder. Two others were Marines flying together. One had developed engine trouble and decided to land at the nearest coalition airfield. There was a Patriot radar at the end of runway which was “skin tracking” the Marines. One target separating from another and flying straight at the radar looks like an antiradiation missile to the Patriot computer and the Patriot commander. Needless to say they fired, effectively. The first Marine’s wingman decided to join him at the emergency landing site. Same result.

It was subsequently decided that since the Patriot was a bigger hazard to friendlies than the enemy was to Patriot or any other coalition asset, in the future all engagements would have to be cleared with E-3 AWACS Air Boss, who had the advantage of experience, the big picture, and the voice of the Holy Ghost.


24 posted on 12/22/2024 8:48:40 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets
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To: libertylover

I was wondering, the Navy has a very capable E-2 AWACS, not as much punch as his Air Force big brother, but capable enough. I wonder if the Gettysburg was in communication with the E-2?


25 posted on 12/22/2024 8:54:02 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets
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To: airdalechief

Cover-up story. It was shot down by alien drones.


26 posted on 12/22/2024 9:09:40 AM PST by UnwashedPeasant (I The pandemic we suffer from is not COVID. It is Marxist Democrat Leftism. )
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To: wildcard_redneck

“I would say that it is even odds that the Houthis used either a Russian or Chinese anti-aircraft missile to shoot down the F-18. I can no longer take the claims of our government at face value, they have been lying about everything.”

They either have or will have hypersonic missiles (the ones we didn’t bother with until 10 years after Russia/China started on them, and now can’t get to work) from Iran, so air defense, also, makes perfect sense.


27 posted on 12/22/2024 9:14:55 AM PST by BobL
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To: SaxxonWoods
“There's never been a conflict where such things didn't happen.”

The friendly fire incident with General Jackson cost the South the war.

Less well known, the Indians attacking Custer at LBH quietly acknowledged killing some of their allies thinking they were “bad” Indians that accompanied Custer's expedition.

28 posted on 12/22/2024 9:19:21 AM PST by jeffersondem
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To: exnavy

I’m going to make a wild guess that quality of officers and crew has diminished since your time of active service.


29 posted on 12/22/2024 9:31:43 AM PST by Chewbarkah
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To: SaxxonWoods
You are correct. There have always been ‘friendly fire’ incidents,,,,very sad, but a fact. However,, they usually occur in some form of combat during the “fog of war”.

I don’t think the Houti’s were in a dogfight with our jet. With our command and control these days,,,,,,,with E-2s, EC-135’s, satellite communications, enhanced radar capabilities, encrypted communications, transponders, etc,,,,this is totally inexcusable.

30 posted on 12/22/2024 9:48:49 AM PST by volare737 (Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated.)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

“E-3 radar operators, “

If they were E-3’s they were full of BS.


31 posted on 12/22/2024 10:09:24 AM PST by TexasGator
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To: airdalechief; ClearCase_guy; exnavy
Hasn't IFF has been around since WW II? Maybe the electronics have gotten too complicated?

Something like this has happened before. At least in that case the crew could imagine the civilian liner was actually a military aircraft imitating harmlessness.

Why a US Warship Downed an Iranian Passenger Jet Over the Gulf in 1988

https://veteranstoday.com/2018/07/03/why-a-us-warship-downed-an-iranian-passenger-jet-over-the-gulf-in-1988/

When Iran Air Flight 655 Was Shot Down By A US Navy Guided Missile Cruiser

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/iran-flight-655-shot-uss-vincennes.html

32 posted on 12/22/2024 10:28:22 AM PST by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: TexasGator

I’m not sure if you are joking. “E-3 AWACS” radar operators. They were mostly senior master sergeants, and the most senior AWACS operators in the Air Force. I met them at in a formal setting at Tinker, in a closed area, not a bar in Oklahoma City. (I like Oklahoma City, and it actually has some nice bars.) I think you have to be an E-4 before you are even qualified to have a seat on an E-3 AWACS.


33 posted on 12/22/2024 10:37:27 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets
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To: exnavy
My job when active was exactly this. I maintained and operated missile radar. I am just gonna say, many mistakes on this one.

I stood (OK, sat) thousands of hours of watch in CIC on 2 Aegis ships, one a cruiser exactly like the Gettysburg. I was CSC, and directly involved in air defense engagements. You are correct. CO and whoever the TAO was are probably done, along with the specific watchstanders that made critical errors. It's also quite probable the Carrier was in the loop throughout the incident.

Fortunately, everything is recorded, so the entire engagement within the Aegis system is recorded, as are the internal and external voice nets the watchstanders were speaking on. From the description of actions before the FF incident was reported, the Gettysburg was engaging drones and anti-ship cruise missiles at the time. Of course, as soon as they realized they shot down an F-18, the flow of information to the public stops. It sounds like the "ASCM" was actually our F-18.

34 posted on 12/22/2024 10:46:29 AM PST by ETCM (“There is no security, no safety, in the appeasement of evil.” — Ronald Reagan)
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To: Joe 6-pack

LOL !


35 posted on 12/22/2024 10:50:06 AM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: norwaypinesavage

Re: 12 - must be nice to assign DEI as involved in this mishap.

No chance you’d like to wait for the accident investigation and more details to become known?

?


36 posted on 12/22/2024 10:53:01 AM PST by Fury
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To: exnavy
Someone’s career is over.

Unless that someone is getting promoted for generating all the correct documentation to maintain the pretense that it was a "friendly fire" incident instead of revealing that it was shot down by a Houthi missile.

37 posted on 12/22/2024 10:55:03 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: ETCM

I was just before aegis. The last of the moveable antenna. The process was the same. Many mistakes to shoot a friendly. Thank God those men survived.


38 posted on 12/22/2024 10:55:41 AM PST by exnavy (See article IV section 4 of our constitution.)
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To: T.B. Yoits

Houthi missile? You have a better chance with a slingshot.


39 posted on 12/22/2024 10:57:09 AM PST by exnavy (See article IV section 4 of our constitution.)
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To: exnavy
The system is setup with redundant checks to stop this kind of nonsense. Someone’s career is over

The simplest explanation is that they are lying and the plane was shot down by Yemeni forces.

40 posted on 12/22/2024 10:57:39 AM PST by Jim Noble (Assez de mensonges et de phrases)
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