According to Business Insider (BI), the Red Sea security mission of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman for many months has been considered not smooth, as the ship has encountered many serious and costly incidents.
So far, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has lost a total of three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets in the Red Sea and suffered some damage due to a collision with a commercial vessel - an incident that dismissed the vessel commander.
Although the extent of the damage from the incidents has not been clearly announced, experts estimate that the US military has lost at least 180 million USD, with each F/A-18 costing about 60 million USD.
BI said the damage contributed to the increased costs the US military suffered in the seven-week airstrike launched by President Donald Trump against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.
The most recent incident occurred on 6.5, when a F/A-18 was landing on the truman deck, the braking system had a problem, causing the aircraft to rush into the sea. Fortunately, the two pilots had promptly turned the escape chair and was brought back by the MH-60S rescue helicopter back to a safe ship.
Earlier, on April 28, the US Navy said that another F/A-18 was being pulled in the maintenance compartment when the driver was out of control. At the time of the incident, the fighter and rickshaw fell into the sea.
A defense officer later said that a crew member jumped from the cockpit just before the plane crashed into the Red Sea and suffered only minor injuries.
Not stopping there, at the end of last year, the US Navy recorded a rare incident when an F/A-18 sailing from the Truman crew was mistakenly shot by the cruiser carrying the guided missile USS Gettysburg in the Red Sea.
The two pilots promptly escaped from the plane and were rescued safely, however, 1 person suffered minor injuries.
Despite the total loss of 3 F/A-18 fighter jets, the US Navy still affirms that the Truman aircraft carrier fighter group and its accompanying crew still maintain full combat capabilities. Currently, there are at least 4 fighter squads deployed on ships, each squadron can own 10 or more aircraft.
Regarding the incident directly involving the Truman ship, on the night of February 13 (local time), this Nimitz-class aircraft carrier collided with a cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea, near Egypt.
The two unnamed defense officials later said the collision caused a hole in the ship's body and left a tear, but did not disclose the cost or expected repair time.
