Defence in brief: CENTCOM repels Houthi attack

The US CENTCOM (CENTral COMmand) has repelled a Houthi strike targeting civilian shipping off the Gulf of Aden over the weekend of the 30th November and 1st December, according to a CENTCOM press release. The attack occurred as the USS Stockdale and the USS O’Kane, two Arleigh Burke destroyers, were escorting three US owned and flagged merchant vessels through the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles, three one-way attack drones, and an anti-ship cruise missile at the vessels, all of which were intercepted by the Stockdale and O’Kane, CENTCOM states.

The Houthis have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since October 2023, sinking two, seizing one, and damaging many others. Not only are the Houthis claiming to engage ships supporting Israel, but the UN has also claimed that the Houthis are making up to $180 million per month from ship operators by charging them for safe passage, a claim that some analysts have disputed.

The US and its allies have intercepted many Houthi missiles leading to concerns around strategic stocks of key air defence missiles as the West juggles commitments and manufacturing capacity between supporting Ukraine and replenishing stockpiles. This concern is well-founded, as Europe is still in the process of re-establishing production of things like the rocket motor for the PAC-2 missile used by Patriot. The pressure is unlikely to ease soon, CENTCOM has reported five strikes against the Houthis and Iran-linked targets in Syria and Iraq since the end of October, indicating that peace is not on the horizon.