US Destroyer Shoots Down Wave of Houthi Drones

Photo Credit: US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau / public domain

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) defeats a combination of Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea, Oct. 19, 2023. Carney is deployed to the US 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.

A US destroyer destroyed a wave of Houthi drones over the Red Sea on Saturday morning, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced.

Centcom said the the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” Centcom said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The tweet added that the drones were determined to be one-way attack drones, and that the interception caused no injuries or damage.

Centcom did not indicate what the drone wave was targeting, though the Houthis announced earlier on Saturday that they launched a wave of drones to attack Eilat.

Houthis Statement claims that they carried out a “military operation against sensitive targets in #Eilat area large barrage of drones”
Southern #Israel ??

— Aleph א (@no_itsmyturn) December 16, 2023
Since Nov. 9, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched ballistic missiles and aerial drones at Israel. All were intercepted by Israeli or American air defense systems, or fell short of their targets.

From bases along the Yemeni coast, Houthi rebels are also able to threaten shipping in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea.

The Houthis recently announced that they would target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed a number of ships, including the Galaxy Leader. The cargo ship and its crew of 25 are being held hostage in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.