Click to see full-size image. Via X.
Footage from Yemen that surfaced online in recent days revealed that some of the United States’ latest weapons are failing amid the ongoing operation against the Houthis (Ansar Allah).
The U.S. military resumed strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on March 15 on orders from President Donald Trump, who said that the large-scale operation was launched in response to the group’s renewed attacks on Israel-affiliated shipping in the Red Sea.
Photos posted to social networks on April 25 showed the wreckage of a GBU-53/B StormBreaker precision-guided glide bomb that failed and crashed in the southeastern province of Shabwah.
The bomb is one of the most advanced weapons in service with the U.S. Air Force and Navy. It entered service in 2020 after years of development.
The GBU-53/B was especially designed to engage moving targets from a distance of up to 74 kilometers. It relies on a GPS-aided inertial navigation system to guide itself into the general vicinity of a moving target during the initial search phase, with course correction updates provided using a data link. T
The bomb has three modes of target acquisition: millimeter-wave radar, infrared homing using an uncooled imaging seeker, and semi-active laser homing. The weapon is capable of fusing the information from the sensors to classify the target and can prioritize certain types of targets as desired when used in semi-autonomous mode.
The GBU-53/B, which carries a 48-kg warhead, is also capable of engaging static targets with a range of up to 111 kilometers.
Click to see full-size image. Via X.
Click to see full-size image. Via X.
Later on May 1, video footage showering the wreckage of what appears to be a failed AGM-88E Advanced Anti Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) surfaced online. The footage was reportedly taken in the western province of al-Hodeidah.
The AARGM, which entered service in 2012, has a top speed of Mach 2.9 and a maximum range of up to 148 kilometers, depending on the flight profile. It carries a 68-kg warhead.
In addition to its main passive radar homing, the AARGM is equipped with a GPS-aided inertial navigation system. This allows the missile to hit radiation-emitting targets even if they were turned off. It also enables it to attack all sorts of static ground targets, if their coordination were installed before launch.
The main feature of the AARGM is its active millimeter radar seeker that allows it to engage moving radiation-emitting targets.
It is unclear why the two weapons failed. While issues with design or malfunctions are the most likely causes, other possibilities like the use of electronic warfare by the Houthis can’t be ruled out.
Russian electronic warfare means very much neutralizing very similar weapon systems which were delivered to Ukraine by the U.S., namely the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb and the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile.
The failure of the weapons, while not appearing to be a widespread issue, still poses a problem to the U.S. as the Houthis will likely transfer the wreckage to their main backer, Iran, which could share technological details with countries like Russia and China.
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