A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 83, crashed into the sea during a training exercise off the coast of Virginia on 20/8. The pilot ejected and was found approximately 90 minutes later. They were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
US officials are investigating the cause of the incident. The crashed F/A-18E has not yet been recovered.
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An F/A-18E Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 83 operates over the Red Sea in 2024. Photo: US Navy |
An F/A-18E Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 83 operates over the Red Sea in 2024. Photo: US Navy
This is the 4th Super Hornet the US Navy has lost in the past year. Three other crashes occurred during the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group's deployment to the Red Sea. An EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, also based on the F/A-18F airframe, crashed into San Diego Bay in February.
Strike Fighter Squadron 83 is part of Carrier Air Wing 3, typically deployed with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. The squadron returned to its home base at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, in 7/2024 after over 9 months at sea, primarily in the Red Sea.
The Super Hornet is a multirole carrier-based fighter jet developed for the US Navy. It comes in two variants: the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F. These aircraft perform a variety of missions, including fleet air defense, air superiority, ground attack, and maritime strike. Each aircraft costs approximately 67 million USD.
Nguyen Tien (Aviationist, USNI, AP)
