Navy Jet Shot Down in Training Due to Errors

In a startling revelation highlighting the risks of complex military training exercises, a recent investigation into a 2022 incident has found that the U.S. Navy inadvertently shot down one of its own aircraft during a live-fire drill. The episode, painstakingly detailed in Military Times’ December 8 article, “Five minutes of chaos: How the Navy shot down its own jet,” underscores a breakdown in coordination, communication, and situational awareness aboard the guided-missile destroyer involved.

The incident occurred on March 18, 2022, during a joint training exercise off the coast of Virginia, when the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gravely launched an interceptor missile that struck a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered without injury, but the aircraft was destroyed. The new findings, based on a Navy investigation obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, point to a chain of missteps over the course of just five minutes that culminated in the loss of the multi-million-dollar jet.

According to the report, the mishap unfolded during a simulation intended to test the ship’s integrated air and missile defense systems. The F/A-18E, tasked with emulating an adversary aircraft, was flying as a mock target. However, investigators determined that sailors aboard the USS Gravely misclassified the aircraft as a hostile threat, prompting a deadly response with a live SM-2 missile.

Several failures contributed to the misidentification. A breakdown in communications between the ship and the training controllers, a lack of clarity regarding the flight path of the friendly aircraft, and insufficient situational awareness among the operators created a perfect storm in a high-pressure environment. Multiple crew members said they had only seconds to make decisions with unclear and sometimes conflicting information, raising broader questions about the Navy’s pre-exercise preparations and real-time command protocols.

Notably, the investigation found no single individual responsible for the incident, attributing the error instead to systemic flaws and gaps in training and execution. Nevertheless, several personnel faced administrative action, though no criminal charges were filed.

The Navy has since taken steps to revise protocols for future live-fire exercises. Officials stated that enhancements to identification procedures and communications between surface vessels and exercise coordinators have been implemented to mitigate the risk of similar events.

The downing of the Navy jet, though initially cloaked in secrecy, now stands as a cautionary tale about automation, human judgment, and the unforgiving consequences of miscommunication in modern warfare. As Military Times’ original report aptly captured, the chaos of those “five minutes” offers urgent lessons for a military navigating increasingly complex threat environments.