While the Houthis have launched unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, in the past against Saudi coalition forces that have intervened in Yemen’s civil war, they were used for the first time against US military and commercial in the Red Sea on January 4. In the weeks since, the Navy has had to intercept multiple USVs, including one on Wednesday.
It’s “more of an unknown threat that we don’t have a lot of intel on, that could be extremely lethal — an unmanned surface vessel,” or USV, said Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, commander of Carrier Strike Group Two, of which the Eisenhower is the flagship.
The Houthis “have ways of obviously controlling them just like they do the (unmanned aerial vehicles), and we have very little little fidelity as to all the stockpiles of what they have USV-wise,” Miguez said.
The Houthis began firing on US military and commercial vessels after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, which started when the Palestinian terror group led a devastating cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel responded with a military offensive to destroy Hamas, remove it from power in Gaza, and free the 253 hostages who were abducted from Israel during the Hamas assault. The Iran-backed Houthis have said they will continue firing on commercial and military vessels transiting the region until Israel ceases its military operations inside Gaza. READ MORE
