By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
While most of us are doubtless familiar with the series of responsive military strikes conducted by the Pentagon in response to Houthi and Iranian-backed militia attacks on US and international ships, personnel and installations, few are likely to understand or know the scope of the impact exacted upon the initial attackers in the Red Sea, Syria and Iraq.
Generally speaking, the Pentagon has indicated that the strikes have been both precise and successful, destroying high-value Houthi and Iranian-supported militia high value targets. In recent strikes, the Pentagon has hit 13 locations, resulting in the destruction of 36 Houthi targets such as launchers, air defense systems and radar.
“CENTCOM continues to evaluate the February 3 strikes, but initial assessments indicate that 35 targets at the 13 locations were destroyed or functionally damaged. The targets destroyed include command and control sites, weapons storage, missile systems, UAV storage and operation sites, radars and three helicopters, Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters recently, according to a transcript provided by the Pentagon.
Overall, Ryder was clear that the Pentagon has destroyed more than 100 missiles and launchers, to include anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles along with surface and aerial drones and weapons storage areas.
While specific weapons used for the attacks are, in some cases, not likely disclosed by the Pentagon for security reasons, the success of these attacks raises a few interesting variables. This includes key question such as …”what has the impact of these strikes been upon Houthi and other Iranian-backed groups? What weapons and defenses have been used and how has there been such precision?
Certainly US Navy warships and submarines are armed with a wide variety of weapons such as over-the-horizon missiles, ship defenses and long-range precision cruise missiles such as Tomahawk missiles, surface to surface, surface to ground, air-to-ground weapons and air dropped bombs from carrier-launched fighter jets.
One thing that seems clear is that the Pentagon’s ISR appears to be extremely accurate, meaning surveillance and targeting information is likely quite precise. Perhaps the moment a Houthi mobile launcher, ammunition storage site or weapons cache is discovered or seen by satellites or overhead drones, it can be quickly destroyed by precision strikes from Tomahawks or airplanes. Clearly the US has air superiority, a circumstance which naturally enables drones, surveillance planes and even fighter jets to conduct aerial targeting missions.
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.
