Yemen Houthis display power by shooting down 22 US MQ-9 drones.... how did the rebel group prepare air defense?
Yemen Houthis display power by shooting down 22 US MQ-9 drones.... how did the rebel group prepare air defense?
There has been a long-standing conflict between Yemen's Houthi rebels and the US which began after the war in Gaza, when the Houthis, supporting Hamas, started attacking US and Israeli ships in the Red Sea. This conflict intensified last month after the US army carried out air strikes on the Houthis. While the US army is carrying out attacks in Yemen claiming to target the Houthis, the Houthis are also showing their strength. The Houthis have shot down several US drones, which shows that this group has air defense.
According to report, Houthi rebels in Yemen have demonstrated their air defense capabilities. They have shot down US MQ-9 Reaper drones. This shows the air defense capabilities of this Yemeni group. Although the exact information about the air defense capabilities of the Houthis has not been revealed, it is clear that the threat to American planes in Yemen is greater than ever. The air defense system possessed by the Houthis poses a serious challenge to America.
Houthis are giving shocks to America
According to the report, the air defense capability of the Houthis has attracted attention in the last few months. A US defense official has said that the Houthis have shot down six MQ-9 drones since March 15. Earlier in March, a US defense official said that the Houthis had shot down 12 US Reaper drones since October 2023.
The Houthis have claimed that they have shot down 22 Reaper drones since October 2023. However, this has not been independently confirmed. Mehdi H has tweeted, 'Yemen's Houthis (Ansarallah group) claim that they have shot down another i.e. 26th American MQ-9 Reaper drone in Al-Hajjah Governorate on 22 April.
Houthis made modern weapons themselves!
The Houthis claim that they have developed missiles and drones domestically. However, Iran's role in this cannot be denied. Iran has been helping the Houthis for a long time. There can be debate on how much help Iran has given to the Houthis, but it is clear that the Houthis have succeeded in acquiring missiles and other dangerous weapons.
A US defense official said, 'We are surprised to see some things about the Houthis. They force us to think. Although the Houthis are not very technologically advanced, we think they are quite modern in terms of making weapons. There is still a lot that we do not know about the Houthis.'
Houthis have dangerous missiles
The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles. The most modern of these are the Burke-1 and Burke-2. They were demonstrated in September 2023. The Houthis claim that the Burke-1 has a range of 31 miles (50 km) and the Burke-2 has a range of 43.5 miles. The Burke-1 can hit targets up to a height of 49,212 feet (15 km) and the
Burke-2 can hit targets up to a height of 65,616 feet (20 km). Experts believe that the Burke-1 and Burke-2 have been made with Iran's missile technology. It is not clear how the Houthis use the Burke. However, it is clear that the Houthis have greatly increased their defense capabilities in Yemen. In such a situation, Houthi rebels can surprise America and Israel in the coming times.
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