On Tuesday night, a cruise missile launched by the Houthis in the Red Sea came dangerously close to a US destroyer, nearing within a mile before being successfully intercepted, according to four US officials who spoke with CNN. This incident represents the closest proximity of a Houthi attack to a US warship.
Historically, US destroyers in the region intercepted these missiles at ranges of eight miles or more. The USS Gravely employed its Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for the first time since late last year when the US began intercepting Houthi missiles, successfully downing the incoming missile.
The CIWS, an automated machine gun designed for close-range intercepts, serves as a final defensive line when other layers of defense have failed.
The event highlights the ongoing threat posed by the Houthis to US naval assets and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, despite previous strikes by the US and UK on Houthi infrastructure within Yemen. This incident occurred shortly after a drone attack by Iran-backed militants killed three US service members at a US outpost in Jordan.
A US official clarified that the Gravely’s delayed interception does not indicate an increase in sophistication of Houthi attacks. Nevertheless, the Houthis continue launching missiles and drones at vessels in the Red Sea. On Wednesday morning, they were reportedly preparing to launch a surface-to-air missile, posing a risk to US aircraft in the region. US Central Command confirmed the successful destruction of the missile before launch.
Since January 11, the US has conducted multiple strikes inside Yemen against Houthi weapons depots, command and control nodes, and storage facilities. However, military officials have not disclosed the specific impact on the degradation of the Houthis’ weapons capabilities resulting from these strikes.
