PNN – In a shocking report for the Yankees themselves, according to the US Department of War, the country’s F-16 fighter jets were caught in a complex missile trap by Yemeni Ansarullah forces on a night mission over Yemen in April 2025.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the Palestinian news agency Al-Ahed quoted the US Air Force and Space Force magazine as saying: Media outlets affiliated with the US Department of War, the Pentagon, made a frank admission that American F-16 fighter jets were exposed to a complex missile ambush by Yemeni Ansarullah forces during a night mission over Yemen. This event was considered by Washington to be one of the most dangerous US air confrontations in the region and once again revealed Yemen’s defense capabilities and the vulnerability of even the most advanced US air systems.
According to the Pentagon-affiliated US Air and Space Force magazine, it was only 15 seconds before several surface-to-air missiles hit two F-16 Falcon fighters.
According to the report, the incident occurred on March 27, 2025, during a night operation over Yemen.
In this operation, the defense systems of the Yemeni Ansarullah forces fired at least six surface-to-air missiles at the American fighter jets as they returned to the Red Sea.
The report quoted two American pilots, William Parks and Michael Blea, as saying that the missiles passed very close to the fighter jets and that the pilots received a warning of danger just seconds before the missiles arrived.
B-2 Spirit strategic bombers also participated in this operation.
According to the magazine, subsequent assessments show that Yemeni defense systems, combining radar-guided missiles, optical surveillance systems, and infrared and electro-optical sensors, have been able to bypass advanced American electronic warning and jamming systems.
The report continues by stating that since the escalation of the fighting, Yemeni forces have succeeded in shooting down several General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and combat drones.
The magazine also reported changes in the structure of the US operational command, announcing that General Michael Eric Corella had transferred the management of air operations related to Yemen from the Central Air Forces Command to the Joint Special Operations Command; a move that, according to the media outlet, is considered unprecedented in its kind.
This report was published at a time when developments on the ground in Yemen continue to be accompanied by military and security complexities, and the parties involved present different narratives about the results of air operations.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense’s statement emphasized that the pilot of the plane was killed and that the exact cause of the accident is being investigated by a specialized team.