What You Need to Know: Houthi rebels launched a multi-pronged attack against U.S. Navy destroyers USS Stockdale and USS Spruance in the Bab al-Mandab Strait using drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles, all of which were successfully intercepted.

-The incident highlights escalating tensions, with the U.S. retaliating via airstrikes on Houthi weapon facilities. While no strikes have landed on U.S. warships, the threat underscores vulnerabilities in facing asymmetric, low-tech adversaries despite America’s advanced naval systems.

-A successful Houthi attack could awaken public awareness of the risks inherent in global military deployment, spurring a reevaluation of U.S. priorities and tactics in contested regions.

Houthi Attack on U.S. Navy 

The Houthi rebels have launched another attack against U.S. Navy surface vessels. Using missiles and drones, the Houthis targeted two destroyers as they traversed the Bab al-Mandab Strait between Yemen and Djibouti.  

“During the transit, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale and USS Spruance were attacked by at least eight one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems, five anti-ship ballistic missiles, and three anti-ship cruise missiles, which were successfully engaged and defeated,” reported Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder. 

The attack comes as no surprise; the Iranian-backed Houthis have been targeting U.S. naval forces and commercial shipping in the region for months. U.S. forces retaliated, launching precision airstrikes against Houthi weapon storage facilities, suggesting that acts of aggression between the U.S. and the Houthis will continue, prompting the question: how would the U.S. react if the Houthis landed a missile or drone against a U.S. warship? 

High Stakes Missile Attacks 

Were the Houthis to successfully target a U.S. warship, the reaction amongst the American public would likely be akin to an awakening. Deploying American forces around the globe, in perpetuity, as the de facto world police, is inherently dangerous. That fact is self-evident, yet Americans have long since been lulled into a false sense of security. 

The superiority of American military equipment and personnel paired with third-world adversaries has made for relatively low-friction military engagement over the last few decades. Americans have become accustomed to sporadic loss and calamity, the occasional improvised explosive device (IED) explosion or helicopter crash. Fortunately, decades have passed since Americans were asked to tolerate something so destructive as a missile strike against a densely populated naval surface vessel. 

Were such a strike to land it would likely disrupt America’s false sense of security; it would likely serve as a reminder that mass, perpetual deployment is inherently dangerous; our young men and women are in harm’s way. 

Possibly, although unlikely, such a strike would force the reexamination of American military priorities and tactics amongst the American public, who may more openly ask questions like: How should U.S. forces be deployed? What is worth risking American lives and treasure for?  

Were such a strike to land, the Pentagon would be forced into a reexamination period, which is likely already underway, the U.S. Navy is built for conflict with nation-states, like Russia and China. Comprised of sophisticated machinery and cutting-edge weaponry, the U.S. naval inventory is expensive and advanced. 

That Houthi rebels, relying upon relatively low-tech weaponry, could plausibly imperil such expensive and advanced vessels would be both embarrassing and alarming, and would prompt adjustments in military doctrine.  

To date, no Houthi attack has successfully landed against an American warship. But the threat seems authentic enough to inspire worry. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass   

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.  

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.