Navy Blames Crew, Training for F-18 Losses, Truman CSG Mishaps

Navy investigation reports on the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group’s recent deployment reveal systemic training deficiencies and command failures contributed to multiple serious incidents, including friendly fire near-misses, collisions with commercial vessels, and two F/A-18 losses during Red Sea operations against Houthi forces. The heavily redacted reports identify inadequate crew preparation, poor communication, and excessive operational tempo as contributing factors across four separate incidents that resulted in injuries and approximately $97 million in aircraft and equipment damage.