US Navy £54m fighter jet accidentally rolls off aircraft carrier and sinks in Red Sea

A huge F/A-18 fighter jet has rolled off a US Navy aircraft carrier in the Red Sea.

The jet - which costs roughly £54million each - rolled off the USS Harry S. Truman ship's hanger deck, and was lost overboard.

A US Navy statement read: "The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard." The accident happened on Monday as sailors were positioning the Super Hornet in the carrier's hanger.

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Part of Strike Fighter Squadron 136, the jet's loss highlights the perils that come with routine aeroplane manoeuvring aboard a warship. Both the aviator manning the jet and the operative on the towing tractor managed to escape before the disastrous plunge, officials confirmed.

One sailor, who ejected from the jet, suffered only a minor injury, according to a defence official who relayed the information anonymously.

The Truman, currently deployed for several months in the Middle East and active in increased operations against Yemen's Houthi rebels, is now facing an extended mission, as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has already added roughly a month to its service duration.

The military has been engaging daily strikes against targets, utilising jets, bombers, ships, and drones.

The fate of the fighter jet, now sunken, remains uncertain amid ongoing investigations.