4 weeks ago
Meet nan Reaper
A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone collapsed disconnected nan seashore of Yemen this week, perchance downed by Houthi rebels, according to a U.S. official. The origin is nether investigation.
The Iran-backed Houthis person brought down 2 different MQ-9s since November, nan first successful early November and past different successful February. Each drone costs astir $30 million, according to nan Congressional Research Service.
The drones flying disconnected nan seashore of Yemen are portion of nan U.S. military's efforts to thief take sides commercialized and subject ships against ongoing attacks by nan Houthis.
File: A MQ-9 Reaper drone flies by during a training ngo astatine Creech Air Force Base connected November 17, 2015, successful Indian Springs, Nevada.
Isaac Brekken/Getty Images
Since nan outbreak of Israel's warfare pinch Hamas, nan Houthis person attacked aliases threatened much than 100 commercialized aliases subject ships successful nan Red Sea aliases nan Gulf of Aden. The Houthis declare their attacks are a protestation against Israel's warfare against Hamas and nan U.S. support for Israel, but U.S. officials constituent retired that galore of nan ships nan group has targeted person nary relationship to Israel.
As a countermeasure, nan U.S and nan United Kingdom, pinch support from different countries, person conducted 4 rounds of associated airstrikes to destruct Houthi capabilities successful Yemen. In addition, nan U.S. subject regularly conducts self-defense strikes against Houthi missiles and drones erstwhile it sees nan Houthis preparing for an attack.
The U.S. besides launched a protect maritime operation, dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian, pinch much than 20 partner nations, to take sides commercialized ships from Houthi attacks.
So far, only 1 Houthi onslaught has resulted successful deaths. An onslaught successful March connected nan Liberian-owned Merchant Ship True Confidence killed 2 unit members.
The gait of attacks has slowed successful caller weeks, but nan attacks are still continuing, including connected Thursday erstwhile nan Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic rocket into nan Gulf of Aden. U.S. Central Command successful a connection said location were nary injuries aliases harm from that attack.
Pentagon lawman property caput Sabrina Singh said earlier this period that nan U.S. "certainly will proceed to do everything we tin to protect commercialized shipping done nan Red Sea and nan Gulf of Aden, and, of course, do everything that we request to to protect our forces."
- In:
- Yemen
- Drone
Eleanor Watson
Eleanor Watson is simply a CBS News newsman covering nan Pentagon.
