The US military said it mistakenly shot down one of its own fighter aircraft over the Red Sea early yesterday, forcing both pilots to eject.

Both were rescued, one with minor injuries, after the "apparent case of friendly fire," which is being investigated, US Central Command said.

The fighter was an F/A-18 Hornet flying off the aircraft carrier Harry S Truman. One of the carrier's escort ships, the missile cruiser Gettysburg, "mistakenly fired on and hit" the plane, it said.