Yemen's Houthis Intensify Use of Unmanned Surface Vessels in NavalAttacks
The Ansar Allah (Houthi) keeps attempting to attack American warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, using a variety of weapons, including unmanned vessels.
Today, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces said it destroyed a Houthi unmanned surface vessel (USV) yesterday at 9:00 a.m., Sanaa time. CENTCOM added, "It was determined this U.S. V presented a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region."
In February, American strikes targeted four Houthi unmanned surface vessels (USV) that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.
In December of last year, Sheba Intelligencerevealed in a report the types of boats that the Houthi group has deployed in preparation for a long war with the international forces in the Red Sea.
The report indicated that the group owns unmanned suicide boats, attack boats, and intelligence collection boats. The report added the group acquired these boats in different ways, including the takeover of the Yemeni army arsenal, confiscating the fishermen's modern boats, and getting smuggled boats from Iran.
According to the report, Iran supplied the Houthis in Yemen with self-driving, remotely operated booby-trapped boats and provided experts and training. The Houthis installed explosives on modern boats.
The Houthi group has repeatedly pledged to effectively make the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea no-go areas for Israel and its supporters if the Israeli war on Gaza continues.
In February, Houthi movement chief Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said, "We introduced the submarine weapons into the confrontation in the Red Sea, and it is a weapon that will worry the enemy."
Last week, Yemen's Houthi group said that they had attacked 86 ships in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean linked to Israel, the U.S., and the U.K. since November last year. Al-Houthi vowed that the Yemeni operations will continue if attacks on the Gaza Strip persist.
