US forces intercept wave of Houthi drone boats in Red Sea

Two naval coalitions have been trying to fend off attacks since late last year

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US forces intercepted five Houthi drone boats and one flying attack drone in the Red Sea on Saturday, while a missile nearly hit a commercial vessel, on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden.

Central Command, the US military headquarters in the Middle East, confirmed the attacks on Sunday morning, saying that air strikes on Houthi positions hit another drone before it was launched.

The attack on the unnamed civilian vessel, which caused no casualties, was reported by the UK Maritime Trade Organisation.

Sunday’s attack saw an explosive detonate near a ship in the Gulf of Aden, marking their latest assault on shipping through the crucial waterway.

UKMTO said the vessel’s crew saw the blast as it passed off the coast of Aden. “No damage to the vessel has been reported and the crew are reported safe,” UKMTO said.

The US and UK, supported by several allies including Canada, Australia and Bahrain, have led air strikes on Iran-backed Houthi groups in Yemen since January 12, part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, to stop a blockade in the Red Sea, which carries about 12 per cent of global trade.

A separate but co-ordinated operation is led by the EU, called Aspides, which focuses on intercepting missiles and drones, but not direct strikes in Yemen.

Houthi attacks have fluctuated in size from waves of dozens of drones and missiles to one or two projectiles, as the US and UK increasingly target launching sites, rather than expending interceptor missiles that can cost several million dollars each to hit drones costing tens of thousands of dollars.

But a wave of five self-detonating drone boats will cause concern for coalition ships, because they are difficult to detect under any conditions except calm waters.