An unmanned U.S. U.S. defense authorities confirmed to NTD News on Tuesday that a MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down on Monday morning off the coast of Yemen.
Initially, the Houthi rebel movement took credit for taking down the US unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on Monday. According to Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare'e, the UAV was shot down by a "suitable missile" while it was conducting "hostile missions" against areas of Yemen under Houthi control on social media platform X.
Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary at the Pentagon, verified a U.S. "Initial indications are that it was shot down a by Houthi surface-to-air missile," the statement said after a MQ-9 drone was shot down on Monday close to areas of Yemen under Houthi control.
Singh stated that the U.S. The U.S. military unit in charge of operations in the Middle East, known as Central Command (CENTCOM), is investigating ways to retrieve the fallen American drone.
“I don’t believe it has been recovered at this time,” she added.
MQ-9 Reaper drones can carry and deploy a range of missiles and bombs, and they are outfitted for both aerial surveillance and armed strikes.
If the MQ-9 that was shot down off the coast of Yemen was armed when it went down, Ms. Singh was unable to answer.
The United States' defeat. MQ-9 drone arrives in the midst of recent Houthi conflicts.
Ansar Allah, the rebel organization in Yemen, has been launching missiles and explosive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against commercial ships traveling through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Zaydi Shiite Muslim movement known as the Houthis has stated that they are carrying out these drone and missile strikes in support of Palestinian groups that are hostile to Israel. As Israeli forces battle in the Gaza Strip to destroy Hamas, a Palestinian movement that both the US and Israel have recognized as a terrorist organization, the Houthis have said that they are targeting commercial boats that they think are associated with Israel.
Since January 11, U.S. forces operating in the Middle East's waterways have carried out dozens of airstrikes on suspected Houthi missile launch facilities in Yemen. They have also thwarted many missile and drone assaults aimed at civilian boats.
In December, three armed Houthi speedboats that were allegedly aiming to attack a cargo ship in the Red Sea engaged in gunfire with a USS Gravely-affiliated helicopter. Ten of the Houthis' men were reportedly killed in the fight, according to them.
Houthi authorities have taken responsibility for missile and drone strikes that specifically target American vessels stationed in the area in recent weeks.
A cargo ship owned by the United Kingdom and flying the flag of Belize was damaged by Houthi missiles on Sunday shortly before the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper crashed. According to reports, the civilian ship Rubymar suffered significant damage and is presently in danger of capsizing. A coalition warship and another civilian vessel reportedly reacted to a distress call from the damaged cargo ship, according to CENTCOM.
According to Ms. Singh, recent attacks on Red Sea vessels have also been spotted by UUVs, which are operated by U.S. personnel.
“Their attacks are getting more sophisticated,” Ms. Singh said.
The Pentagon spokeswoman said U.S. and coalition strikes in Yemen are degrading the Houthi’s offensive capabilities, but cautioned that they can’t stop every attack.
“Every single day that we initiate another dynamic strike we are taking another surface-to-air missile off the map for [The Houthis]. They can’t necessarily say the same for us. We are using our capabilities to shoot down whether it be missiles or UAVs or in this case, the underwater unmanned vehicle,” Ms. Singh said. “We are being able to stop them but again, sometimes the attacks do get through.”
Ms Singh assessed the Houthis still have “a large inventory” of weapons available.
The Houthis have been classified as a terrorist group by the US government on occasion. During the last few days of President Donald Trump's administration in January 2021, the Yemeni faction was classified as both a specially designated global terrorist entity (SDGT) and a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). In response to recent attacks on commercial ships in the area, President Joe Biden's administration imposed the SDGT classification against the group in February 2021, rescinding the terrorist labels that had been previously issued.
The Iranian government is accused by the U.S. administration of providing funds and supplies to the Houthis. Although the Iranian side has applauded the Houthi organization's pattern of attacks, it has previously denied arming or assisting the group in planning its operations.
Since January, there have been two reports of alleged Iranian weapons shipments to Yemen being intercepted by US soldiers.
“We know that Iran is continuing to supply” the Houthis, Ms. Singh said.
According to a Pentagon spokesperson, if the U.S. military keeps running on a short-term budget that is dependent on successive continuing resolutions, as it is already doing, then U.S. weapon consumption rates and losses in the ongoing battle with the Houthis may eventually become unsustainable. She restated the Biden administration's demands that Congress adopt both the supplemental spending package, which would provide an additional $60 billion in U.S. support for Ukraine, and the full budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
Many Republican legislators have opposed efforts to adopt the supplemental spending plan, voicing concerns about funding the current Russia-Ukraine war rather than working for a settlement and calling for stricter border security measures.
