Navy leaders quietly question if aircraft carrier Truman’s troubled deployment signals the end of an era

Admiral Sarah Mitchell watched from the pier as the USS Harry S. Truman glided into Norfolk Naval Base, its massive hull gleaming with fresh paint. The brass band played, families cheered, and cameras captured what looked like a triumphant homecoming. But Mitchell knew better. Behind her aviator sunglasses, she couldn’t shake the weight of the past five months—three lost fighter jets, a collision that nearly derailed the mission, and questions that would haunt Navy leadership for years to come.

Her daughter, a junior officer aboard the Truman, had called just days earlier. “Mom, we’re coming home, but it doesn’t feel like victory,” she’d whispered over the encrypted line. Those words echoed everything Mitchell feared about the future of American naval power.

The aircraft carrier Truman’s return marks more than just the end of a deployment—it signals a potential turning point in how the Navy views its most expensive and prestigious weapons of war.

When America’s Floating Fortress Met Reality

The USS Harry S. Truman left Norfolk in December 2024 carrying the hopes of Pentagon planners and the weight of American maritime dominance. This nuclear-powered giant was supposed to send a clear message to Yemen’s Houthis: stop attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, or face the full might of the U.S. Navy.

Instead, what unfolded over the next five months exposed uncomfortable truths about modern naval warfare that defense officials would prefer to keep classified.

The aircraft carrier Truman, despite its $4.5 billion price tag and escort of destroyers and cruisers, struggled against an enemy that cost pennies on the dollar. Houthi fighters, armed with Iranian-supplied drones and improvised missiles, managed to damage the reputation of America’s most powerful naval asset without firing a single shot at the carrier itself.

“We sent a Ferrari to fight a swarm of wasps, and the wasps won,” said a retired Navy captain who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The Houthis didn’t need to sink the Truman—they just needed to make it look vulnerable.”

The Mounting Costs of Naval Prestige

The deployment’s troubles began almost immediately. Between December 2024 and May 2025, the Truman strike group lost three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets. The most embarrassing incident occurred when the USS Gettysburg, a cruiser in the carrier’s escort group, shot down one of its own aircraft in a friendly-fire mishap.

Here’s what went wrong during the deployment:

• Three F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft lost (valued at approximately $180 million)
• One friendly-fire incident involving the USS Gettysburg
• Collision with a Panamanian merchant vessel near the Suez Canal
• Dismissal of the carrier’s commanding officer, Captain Dave Snowden
• Emergency repairs covered with paint and banners for public ceremonies
• Structural damage requiring extensive shipyard work back in the United States

The collision near Port Said proved particularly damaging to Navy morale. The aircraft carrier Truman, designed to project American power across the globe, had been outmaneuvered by a civilian cargo ship in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

“It’s not just about the money, though that hurts,” explained a defense analyst familiar with the incident reports. “It’s about what this says to our allies and adversaries about American naval competence.”

What This Means for America’s Naval Future

The Truman’s troubled deployment has sparked intense debate within Pentagon circles about whether aircraft carriers remain relevant in modern warfare. These floating cities, each carrying 5,000 sailors and costing more than many countries’ entire defense budgets, were designed for a different era of naval combat.

Today’s threats look very different. Cheap drones can swarm expensive defenses. Hypersonic missiles can target carriers from thousands of miles away. Cyber attacks can disable sophisticated electronic systems without firing a shot.

The implications extend far beyond military circles:

• Taxpayer costs: Each carrier deployment costs approximately $1 billion, not including aircraft losses or repairs
• Allied confidence: European and Middle Eastern partners are questioning America’s ability to protect vital shipping lanes
• Strategic deterrence: Adversaries may view carrier vulnerabilities as opportunities to challenge U.S. naval dominance
• Navy recruitment: High-profile incidents make it harder to attract skilled personnel to naval aviation careers

Several NATO allies privately expressed concerns about relying on American carrier protection for their own merchant fleets. One European defense minister, speaking off the record, noted that “if the U.S. Navy can’t protect its own ships from Houthi attacks, what does that mean for the rest of us?”

The aircraft carrier Truman’s experience also highlights the changing economics of naval warfare. While the U.S. spent hundreds of millions on aircraft losses and repairs, the Houthis achieved their strategic objectives using weapons that cost less than a single American missile.

Lessons from the Red Sea

Naval experts are already drawing conclusions from the Truman deployment that could reshape American maritime strategy for decades. The most significant realization is that traditional naval power projection may be losing effectiveness against non-state actors and asymmetric threats.

“We’re fighting the last war with weapons designed for the war before that,” observed a senior Pentagon official. “The Houthis didn’t need to sink our carrier—they just needed to make us look incompetent.”

The friendly-fire incident particularly stung Navy leadership. Advanced Aegis combat systems, designed to track and engage multiple targets simultaneously, somehow identified an American fighter jet as a threat. This raised uncomfortable questions about training, procedures, and the reliability of systems the Navy has trusted for decades.

The collision near the Suez Canal added another layer of embarrassment. Captain Dave Snowden, a 20-year veteran with an exemplary record, found his career ended by what investigators called “a failure of basic seamanship.” The incident report, parts of which have leaked to defense media, described communication breakdowns and navigational errors that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

For the families of the 5,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Truman, these incidents represented more than just statistics or strategic setbacks. They reflected a growing gap between the Navy’s technological capabilities and its ability to operate effectively in modern conflict zones.

FAQs

What happened to the USS Harry S. Truman during its deployment?
The aircraft carrier Truman lost three F/A-18 fighter jets, including one shot down by friendly fire, collided with a merchant vessel, and suffered various operational setbacks during its Red Sea deployment.

Why was Captain Dave Snowden dismissed from command?
Captain Snowden was relieved of duty following the collision between the USS Harry S. Truman and a Panamanian merchant vessel near the Suez Canal in February 2025.

How much did the aircraft losses cost the Navy?
The three lost F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft were valued at approximately $180 million total, not including operational disruptions and repair costs.

Did the Houthis successfully attack the USS Harry S. Truman?
No direct attacks on the aircraft carrier Truman were reported, but the Houthis’ continued harassment of commercial shipping demonstrated the limitations of traditional naval deterrence.

What does this mean for future aircraft carrier deployments?
The Truman deployment has prompted Navy leadership to reconsider how carriers are used against asymmetric threats and whether current operational procedures need major updates.

Will this affect the Navy’s budget for new aircraft carriers?
Congressional defense committees are already asking tough questions about carrier effectiveness, which could influence future shipbuilding and modernization funding decisions.