Additional Coverage:
- Commander describes the moment a US Navy destroyer blasted an enemy drone out of the sky with a 5-inch deck gun (newsbreak.com)
A US Navy destroyer shot down a Houthi drone using its deck gun during a Red Sea battle last year. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, recently shared details of the November incident.
The USS Stockdale was transiting from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden when the attack began. Houthi forces launched a series of ballistic missiles at the ship.
The crew successfully defended against the missile attack. Shortly after, a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile was intercepted by fighter jets from the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The fighting continued, with US forces destroying additional missiles and drones. The Navy retaliated with strikes in Yemen.
In the early morning hours, a Houthi drone approached the Stockdale. Despite a late detection, the destroyer’s five-inch gun destroyed the drone.
Vice Adm. Cooper described the successful intercept as a rare and exciting event, drawing comparisons to World War II-style combat.
He highlighted the growing threat posed by Houthi forces, who have launched numerous attacks on commercial vessels and US Navy warships over the past 15 months. US forces have intercepted hundreds of Houthi drones.
Houthi attacks have often been justified as demonstrations of solidarity with Palestinians. The group has also targeted Israel with missiles and drones, most of which have been intercepted.