USS Carney firing interceptors at missiles and drones launched from Yemen over the Red Sea on October 19. Source: U.S. Army.
The United States Central Command announced on February 28 that American aircraft and a coalition warship shot down five suicide drones launched by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) from Yemen over the Red Sea a day earlier.
“CENTCOM forces identified these UAVs originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region,” the command said in a statement. “These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.”
On February 27, a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense said that German navy frigate Hessen, which was recently deployed in the Red Sea as a part of a European mission, shot the drones down within 20 minutes of each one being fired.
“They were recognized by the radar system and had a different range. That’s why two different weapons were used,” the ministry spokesperson said.
The warship identified a “suspicious drone” on February 26 but was unable to shoot it down successfully, the spokesperson added.
Also on February 27, a missile exploded off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The Royal Navy detachment reported the attack happened about 110 kilometers off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of al-Hodeida. The missile exploded several miles off the bow of the vessel, it said.
“The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to the next port of call,” the UKMTO said in a warning notice.
Meanwhile, the British private security firm Ambrey reported that the vessel targeted appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier in the area at the time. Another ship, a Panama-flagged, Emirati-owned chemical tanker was nearby as well, the firm said.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have targeted dozens of Israel-affiliated vessels and others owned by the U.S. and the UK in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 19 in response to the ongoing Israeli war and siege on Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of nearly 30,000 Palestinians.
The U.S. and the UK retaliated to the Houthis repeated attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by carrying out strikes on more than 200 targets in areas controlled by the group in Yemen. However, the group remains undeterred.
