An F/A-18 Super Hornet – flying a few miles behind the Hornet that was shot down in a "friendly fire" incident over the Red Sea – took evasive maneuvers after a second surface-to-air missile was fired from the cruiser USS Gettysburg,

The incident, though there are still many unknowns, underscores the risks of friendly fire in intense combat, especially a complex air-defense fight.

Right-wing commentators have tied the incident to broader concerns about alleged incompetence in the U.S. military.