By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
US Navy weapons have fired weapons in response to deliberate attacks on US Navy and commercial ships from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
“There were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea. These three vessels are connected to 14 separate nations. The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the distress calls from the ships and provided assistance,” a statement from Central Command said.
The USS Carney did fire weapons in response to defend itself at several points, destroying incoming enemy drones US Navy warships in the Red Sea have in recent weeks used ship-defenses to intercept missiles and drones originating from Iran-backed Houthi-rebel areas
The USS CARNEY detected an anti-ship ballistic missile attack fired from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen toward the M/V UNITY EXPLORER…a Bahamas flagged, U.K. owned and operated, bulk cargo ship crewed by sailors from two nations. The CARNEY detected the attack on the UNITY EXPLORER, Central Command said.
The CentCom statement also said the USS CARNEY engaged and shot down a UAV launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. The drone was headed toward CARNEY although its specific target is not clear.
In a separate attack, the UNITY EXPLORER reported they were struck by a missile fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen, the Central Command statement said. CARNEY responded to the distress call.
“While assisting with the damage assessment, CARNEY detected another inbound UAV, destroying the drone with no damage or injuries on the CARNEY or UNITY EXPLORER. UNITY EXPLORER reports minor damage from the missile strike,” CentCom states.
In yet another attack, M/V NUMBER 9 was struck by a missile fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen while operating international shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The Panamanian flagged, Bermuda and U.K. owned and operated, bulk carrier reported damage and no casualties, CentCom said.
“The M/V SOPHIE II, sent a distress call stating they were struck by a missile. CARNEY again responded to the distress call and reported no significant damage. While en route to render support, CARNEY shot down a UAV headed in its direction. SOPHIE II is a Panamanian flagged bulk carrier, crewed by sailors from eight countries,” CentCom says.
Multiple reports also clearly state that Houthi-rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attack, a circumstances which risks major escalation in the region amid the ongoing Hamas-Israeli Defense Force war. Details about the encounter are not yet available, however reports do say the attacks included missiles and drones, something which likely generated the DDG 51 US Navy destroyer USS Carney to fire interceptors or use close-in layered ship defenses, depending upon how close the threats came to the US warship.
“These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners,” the Central Command statement said.
Will the Pentagon Strike?
Senior Pentagon officials have recently been clear that the US will respond with force where, when and if it chooses, yet also emphasizes the importance of the continued US deterrence efforts in the region. Pentagon officials belief a strong US presence, which has included dual-carrier operations in the Mediterranean as well as additional force protection measures and warships in areas throughout the Middle East, has to a large degree successfully prevented the conflict from expanding beyond the IDF and Hamas. There have been some attacks to which the US has responded, in Iraq and Syria, yet in a large sense there has not been a “large” or extremely significant escalation in the IDF-Hamas war. Making sure things stay this way continues to be a huge priority for the Pentagon.
Pentagon Spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder emphasized US deterrence efforts when asked about recent Iran-proxy group attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syrian. Clearly the Pentagon is hoping to “de-escalate” the situation in the region, as evidenced by Ryder’s comments.
“We would encourage anyone thinking of attacking U.S. forces to not do that. Those attacks are dangerous, I don’t want to minimize it, but have largely been ineffective. When we strike, it’s extremely effective, and every single time we strike, it diminishes IRGC capability in Iraq and Syria…..And so going forward, should we need to conduct additional strikes, we will continue to diminish IRGC capability in Iraq and Syria to protect our forces and our important mission, which again is the defeat ISIS mission,” Ryder said.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
