By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
A missile fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen has struck a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned container ship in the Southern Red Sea, prompting a rapid response from two US Navy warships in the area, US Central Command reported Saturday.
The container ship, called the MAERSK HANGZHOU, called two US patrolling Navy Destroyers for help when coming under attack.
No injuries were reported and the attacked vessel was considered “seaworthy” after being struck, however a distress call to US Navy destroyers resulted in the destruction of two Houthi-fired anti-ship ballistic missiles. The USS Gravely (DDG 107) succeeded in intercepting two Houthi-fired anti-ship missiles while responding to a call from Singapore’s container ship.
It is not yet clear just what kind of missile struck the MAERSK HANGZHOU, yet it was apparently followed by additional missile attacks from Houthi-controlled areas. US Centcom announced that this was the 23rd illegal attack launched on international forces, and cited that the responding Navy ships destroyed two Houthi-fired anti-ship ballistic missiles.
It is also not clear how far the Houthi-fired missiles traveled or what kind of guidance systems they used while attacking international ships in the Southern Red Sea, yet US Navy warships have been extremely successful tracking and intercepting Houthi weapons. The Centcom announcement did say the USS Gravely shot down an anti-ship “ballistic” missile, as opposed to an anti-ship “cruise” missile flying lower to the surface, indicating that ship defenses were able to track a “parabola”-like missile flying along a standard “ballistic” trajectory. As opposed to a cruise missile flying parallel to the surface of the ocean, a ballistic missile is likely a bit easier to “see,” “find” and “track” with ship-based radar.
However, it would be interesting to learn how far away the Navy ships were when the USS Gravely shot down the Houthi missiles, as it might provide some kind of indication as to which kinds of ship defenses were used. Should a US Navy carrier have been within range, it is certainly conceivable that an F-18 could have shot down the missiles with some kind of air-to-air weapon, however US Navy destroyers are increasingly armed with upgraded, precision-guided SM-2, SM-6 and SM-3 interceptor weapons firing from Vertical Launch Systems. Whichever defense or countermeasure was used, it does seem clear that US Navy warships in the Red Sea are operating with effective and precise surveillance and target tracking. There are several possibilities for this, as it might be that satellites and drones keeping watch over Houthi-controlled launch areas. If so, it seems likely they are well networked with ship-based fire control and various command and control systems able to receive and maintain a target track or trajectory of an incoming missile.
What may be most likely, however, is that ship-integrated Aegis radar is increasingly capable of performing both ballistic missile defense as well as air and cruise missile defense, meaning its integrated ship-based radar, software and fire control system continues to become more precise, faster and higher fidelity, enabling successful intercept of the missiles. As opposed to a drone swarm, which likely required different kinds of interceptors than SM-2s,SM-6s and SM-3s, an incoming ballistic missile can be intercepted by Aegis Combat System operated interceptor missiles. Which one was used? Depends upon the range, but I would guess SM-6 as that interceptor is intended for the medium-range distances likely traveled by the Houthi ballistic missiles. The SM-6 also now operates with what Raytheon weapons experts describe as a “dual-seeker,” meaning it can send its own forward ping from the missile itself and adapt to moving targets in flight without needing a ship-based illuminator to guide their path.
US Navy Helicopters Destroy Houthi Boats
US Navy helicopters launched from a carrier and destroyer were attacked in the Red Sea from a group of Houthi small boats, responding in self-defense with lethal force destroying three out of four Houthi-boats.
The Navy helicopters, from the USS Eisenhower carrier and USS Gravely in the Red Sea, were responding to a distress call from a Singapore-Denmark container ship called the MAERSK HANGZHOU which came under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats
US Central Command released and essay on the incident, stating “The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew served and small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANGZHOU, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel.”
US Navy helicopters were fired upon by Houthi-small boats by crew served weapons and small arms when attempting to support the attacked container ship, and the US Navy helicopters “returned fire in self defense…sinking three of the four small boats, killing the crews,” according to US CentCom. The fourth boat “fled” the area, CentCom said, adding that there was no damage to US personnel or equipment.
The CentCom essay did not specify the type of helicopters used to destroy the small boats, but both US Navy carriers and destroyers launch UH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter variants capable of rescue operations, anti-submarine missions, sensing and reconnaissance and “attack” as needed. Most Carrier Air Wings and destroyers do not operate smaller attack helicopters, although amphibious assault ships typically do. Nonetheless, the two variants of US Navy Sea Hawks the “R” and the “S” are both armed with 30mm cannons, Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70mm rockets. It is likely that helicopter mounted crew served weapons were used to destroy the Houthi small boats, and it appears the small arms and crew served weapons fired by Houthi-small boats may not have been shot accurately or been out of range to hit US Navy helicopters. However, SeaHawks are configured for armed combat, and depending upon the engagement range, the helicopters may have used 2.75mm Hydra 70 rockets increasingly able to hit small moving targets with precision. SeaHawk helicopter can also be armed with HELLFIRE missiles, yet they would likely be used against larger targets as the weapons are known as “tank-killers.” Helicopter crews could also fire side-mounted 50-cal machine guns. The operative or tactically relevant variable here is that the Houthi-small boats were prevented from more closely approaching and attacking commercial ships due to the US Navy helicopters. This is critical, as the CentCom report explains that the Houthi small boats came within 20-feet of the Singapore-Denmark container ship.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and the Defense Editor for the National Interest. 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.
