Olawale Abaire, Warrior Contributor
U.S. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed in a recent press briefing that the MQ-99 drone did crash. However, Secretary Singh continued that the CENTCOM is investigating it.
The Houthi rebels have recently announced the successful interception and destruction of an MQ-9 drone over Yemen, showcasing video evidence of the event that took place during the night and the subsequent wreckage found during the day.
If verified, this would be the third MQ-9 drone taken down by the Houthis in the last six months and the sixth Reaper to be damaged in various Middle Eastern conflicts over the past 13 months.
The video evidence released by the Houthis shows what seems to be the launch of a surface-to-air missile, followed by an explosion and falling debris.
The aftermath is shown in the daytime footage, which displays what appears to be the remnants of an MQ-9’s tail section, propellers, engine, and parts of a wing. Some of these parts bear the label “General Atomics.” A Houthi spokesperson did not specify the type of surface-to-air missile used in the attack.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon confirmed that an MQ-9 had indeed crashed in Yemen but stated that the incident is currently under investigation. Since the attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, which triggered a regional crisis, the Houthis and other militias backed by Iran have launched repeated attacks on U.S. forces and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The MQ-9 Reaper, also known as Predator B, was designed to support military operations where there was no danger of them being shot down. It can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and has an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The drone is valued at around $30 million.
The MQ-9 Reaper drone’s capabilities are impressive, but the recent incident raises questions about its vulnerability. The Pentagon has been considering upgrading the MQ-9 Reaper with directed-energy weapons such as low-powered laser and high-powered microwave beams. However, the recent incident might prompt a reassessment of these plans
In total, the Houthis have threatened or attacked more than 100 commercial vessels in the waters off Yemen. They claim that these attacks, which have resulted in the deaths of two merchant sailors, are a show of solidarity with Gaza, where Israel has been conducting a retaliatory war against Hamas. They have also targeted U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets, including Reapers, operating in the region of Yemen.
In November 2023, the Houthis shot down an MQ-9 off the coast of Yemen. Similarly in January 2024, an MQ-9 crashed in Iraq, believed to have been shot down by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militias. The Pentagon suggested that the missile used was likely supplied by Iran.
How Has the F-35 Doubled in Size
Before the conflict began on October 7, a Russian fighter collided with an MQ-9 in March 2023 while intercepting it over the Black Sea, causing the Reaper to crash. In July 2023, Russian fighters interfered with two MQ-9s over Syria over several days. They dropped flares in the path of the Reapers, causing damage but not destruction. The U.S. and Britain have conducted four joint airstrikes at Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the attacks on commercial shipping.
The Reaper has been in operation since 2008. With a flight endurance of up to 24 hours and a ceiling of 50,000 feet, the Reaper has proven invaluable in ISR missions in numerous conflicts and has seen extensive use in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The Air Force has deployed more than 320 Reapers operationally. These remotely-piloted aircraft, valued at about $30 million each, are operated by a rated pilot and sensor systems operator. The type is headquartered at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.
The Air Force has ceased purchasing the MQ-9, stating that while the type was useful in conflicts where the threat was minimal, the non-stealthy aircraft is not survivable in theaters where the opposition owns even moderately sophisticated anti-air capabilities.
OLAWALE ABAIRE is a Warrior researcher, writer and analyst who has written many published nonfiction books
