( CNN ) The U.S. Navy rescued two Saudi Arabia air force pilots from the Gulf of Aden , a U.S. military official said Friday . The pilots had ejected from their F-15 aircraft after it suffered mechanical failure , Saudi officials told U.S. sources . The two were not seriously injured . The USS Sterett , a guided-missile destroyer , coordinated the search , while the USS New York looked for the men . A rescue helicopter flew from Djibouti to retrieve them on Thursday . Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition military operation to quell a rebellion by Houthi militias in Yemen . The United States supports the operation , but is not participating in it . Three U.S. Navy ships are standing by in the Gulf of Aden for future recovery operations . U.S. manned aircraft are not permitted to fly in Yemen airspace under the current rules of engagement .
The plane suffers mechanical damage , and the pilots eject . U.S. security personnel searches for them , and a helicopter picks them up .