The reports, published on Thursday, detail incidents that cost the Navy more than $100 million, including the loss of three fighter jets and damage to the carrier, while several sailors were injured.
The USS Harry S. Truman, the third American aircraft carrier deployed to the region, arrived in Red Sea waters in December 2024 on a mission initially planned for six months but extended by two months amid near-daily Yemeni missile and drone attacks.
From December 22, 2024, the carrier's crew shifted to active defense, and from March 15, 2025, began daily combat air operations in what US officials described as the most intense naval engagement since World War II.
Yemeni operations began in October 2023 in response to the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza and continued despite US bombing campaigns under former US president Joe Biden and a subsequent month-long assault under Donald Trump.
The investigations found that crew members suffered from severe sleep deprivation, constant operational pressure, and reduced equipment maintenance capacity, impairing standard response capabilities.
Key incidents included:
In December 2024, the cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly identified two F/A-18F jets from the Truman as Yemeni missiles and fired on them, downing one aircraft while the second was saved moments before impact.
The report blamed inadequate training of combat information center personnel and over-reliance on faulty technology.
In February 2025, the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near the Suez Canal entrance after an officer maintained an unsafe speed requiring 1.5 miles to stop and failed to maneuver adequately.
Captain Dave Snowden, then commander, mitigated greater catastrophe by altering the impact angle, though he was relieved of command a week later.
In April 2025, during an emergency turn to evade a Yemeni missile, a jet being moved in the hangar slipped into the sea due to excessive deck tilt and slippage caused by irregular cleaning under high operational tempo.
In May 2025, an arresting cable snapped during landing because of missing critical parts and poor maintenance, sending another F/A-18F overboard.
Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, former strike group commander, described the carrier's maintenance state as "abject failure," with personnel struggling to balance upkeep and combat demands.
Adm. James Kilby, a senior Navy officer, stated that "accountability actions were taken across all the operators involved," though details remain redacted.
Bradley Martin, a RAND senior researcher and retired Navy captain, called the incidents a "wake-up call," saying the Truman "was obviously at a point where it was running at a ragged edge" and that the Navy demanded too much from its crews, exposing brittleness in readiness.
Martin noted that Yemeni air threats, though smaller than those posed by China, still imposed significant stress on American warships.
The reports highlight deep vulnerabilities in the US Navy's ability to sustain operations against persistent threats, according to analysts.
The sustained and heroic operations by Yemen's military forces in the Red Sea have not only defended their sovereignty against unjust US-led aggression but have also exposed the glaring vulnerabilities and overextension of the American naval fleet, proving that even a superpower's might crumbles under prolonged resistance from a determined nation fighting for justice in solidarity with Gaza.
As investigations reveal the USS Harry S. Truman's crew succumbing to fatigue, sleep deprivation, and maintenance failures amid daily Yemeni missile and drone strikes, it underscores Yemen's strategic prowess in turning the tide of what Washington arrogantly deemed a one-sided campaign, costing the US over $100 million in preventable blunders while inspiring global admiration for Yemen's unyielding commitment to regional stability and anti-imperialist principles.