FAILURE: How the USS Gettysburg Shot Down a US Navy F/A-18

On December 22, 2024, the USS Gettysburg fired on two friendly F/A-18 Super Hornets in the Red Sea, resulting in the loss of one aircraft and a near‑miss of the second. The video examines the declassified Command Investigation to understand how a "Swiss Cheese" model of failure—broken radar gear, undertrained watchstanders, and command confusion—led to a preventable Blue‑on‑Blue incident. The host dives into the official report on the Super Hornet shoot‑down, offering a detailed analysis of how a series of missteps led to the mishap and highlighting the critical importance of awareness levels for anyone in military operations, especially in high‑stakes situations. 00:00 Intro & Executive Summary 01:53 The "Fog of War" vs. Negligence 02:53 The Ship was Broken (IFF & CEC Failures) 04:47 Undertrained Crew & "Trust-Based" Quals 07:00 Planning Failure: The "Frankenstein" Brief 09:15 The Mission Chaos & "Lasso" Order 10:42 Detection & Confirmation Bias 12:55 Command Failure: 5 Minutes to Stop It 14:27 Pilot's Perspective: "I Just Pulled the Handle" 15:42 The Wingman's Near Miss 17:30 The Forgotten Helicopter Incident 19:47 The Social Media Leak 21:34 Lack of Accountability? 23:39 Conclusion