US Navy Destroyer Shoots Down Iranian-Made Drone over Red Sea

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The US Navy’s USS Carney destroyer “shot-down” an Iranian-made KAS-04 drone in the Red Sea launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, a move which raises the question of when, how or if the Pentagon might respond with force. 

Many details of the incident were not available, and US Central Command says the exact intent of the drone may not be known, but it was heading straight toward the US Navy ship.  Therefore, for security and defensive reasons, the USS Carney used its sensors and weapons to track and destroy the drone.  

“At the time of the shoot down, the USS Carney was escorting the USNS SUPPLY (Oiler) and another U.S. flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region. There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and no damage to U.S. vessels,” a statement from US Central Command said.

This is just the latest in what has been a series of missile launches and weapons attacks ostensibly directed at Israel from areas under control by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. 

The operative question on the minds of many at the moment is … how will the US respond? Senior Pentagon officials have not as of yet conducted a precision strike on any Houthi-specific areas in Yemen, yet it has by no means been ruled out. 

“We’ve been very clear that we’re going to protect our forces, and if those forces are threatened, we’ll take appropriate action to respond. But in terms of telegraphing any potential future strikes, I’m just not going to do that,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters recently in response to a question about a possible US response.