News- Yemen: American writer Evelyn Hart has revealed heavy losses suffered by US forces in recent confrontations with the Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red Sea, most notably the downing of three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, with a combined estimated value of about $180 million.

In an article published on the military website Indian Defence Review, Hart stated that the return of the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman to its base in Norfolk, Virginia, exposed a series of strategic and technical failures faced by the US Navy after an eight-month mission in the Red Sea.

She explained that the carrier was part of a strike group deployed to the region to bolster US power, during which more than 11,000 hostile sorties were carried out in Yemen and Somalia, along with the deployment of over one million pounds of munitions.

On the mission’s effectiveness, Hart stressed that the Yemeni Armed Forces’ continued blockade of Zionist shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait cast doubt on the credibility of US deterrence, noting that commercial vessels were still rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope—highlighting the US Navy’s limited deterrent capacity.

She affirmed that “Yemen has succeeded in breaking the prestige of the US Navy’s superpower status in an unprecedented manner in post-World War II naval confrontations.”

Hart further noted that these incidents “reflect systemic problems in training, maintenance, and leadership within the fleet,” pointing out that the US Department of Defense has ordered a comprehensive review of aircraft carrier operations, including safety protocols, aircraft handling, and command communications.

She referenced remarks by Admiral Christopher Grady, Chief of Naval Operations, who said that recent events “do not reflect the standards of excellence we expect from our fleet.” Hart concluded that the mission exposed the limits of conventional power when confronting asymmetric threats and raised questions about the future of aircraft carriers amid changing global challenges.

She added that these incidents could influence future US naval strategy, potentially prompting a reassessment of the role of aircraft carriers in military operations, while underlining the importance of adapting to new and evolving threats and developing strategies to meet future challenges.

The USS Harry S. Truman, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has been one of the most symbolic assets in the US Navy’s regional presence. Any credible threat against it, especially from a country under siege like Yemen, would deal a heavy blow to America’s military prestige.

Washington later announced the Truman would undergo multi-year maintenance—a move experts interpret as its de facto retirement from service.

Since late 2023, Yemen’s Armed Forces have dramatically escalated their military operations in response to the Israeli enemy's war on Gaza and the broader US.-British support for it. As part of their declared solidarity with the Palestinian people, Yemen has launched a sustained campaign targeting Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and beyond—expanding its strategy to include aerial and maritime blockades on the Israeli entity.

Yemen’s increasing use of ballistic and hypersonic missiles, along with advanced drones, has shifted the balance of power in regional waters, creating serious concern within US and Israeli defense establishments. Analysts now describe the conflict as one of the most significant maritime confrontations since World War II, with implications far beyond the Red Sea.

The reported retreat of US forces following direct threats to its carriers  represent a major strategic and symbolic victory for Yemen and a major embarrassment for Washington, particularly under the leadership of Donald Trump, whose administration had vowed to maintain dominance in the region.