For the first time, the United States used the latest weapons worth millions of dollars against Yemeni Houthis
The United States used a missile worth millions of dollars to shoot down a Houthi ballistic missile and, for the first time, a
The US military used the SM-6 (Standard Missile-6) missile as part of a campaign to protect civilian shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden – the Pentagon confirmed the use of this anti-aircraft missile by the US Navy, which was fired from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) against a Yemeni Houthi ballistic missile.
Previously, the Pentagon did not recognize the use of SM-6 to shoot down missiles or drones fired by the Yemeni Houthis, although it is quite possible that these missiles have already been used by the US military since the beginning of operations. For example, according to official reports, since October 19, the USS Carney destroyer alone has shot down a total of 38 drones and missiles, according to The War Zone. The details of this combat episode remain undisclosed, including how many SM-6s were fired at the ballistic missile.
Today, the United States operates Block I and Block IA versions of this missile, and a Block IB version is under development, which, among other things, will have an extended range and should also be effective against such a modern threat as hypersonic missiles. The price of the SM-6 is also emphasized: as of 2022, it was more than $4.3 million for the US military. And, for example, if we recall the news of November 2023, when the US State Department approved the sale of SM-6 missiles to South Korea, the price tag in rough calculation generally soars to more than $17 million.
In addition, in the context of shooting down missiles and drones of the Yemeni Houthis, there is also the news that for the first time since the start of the operation, a Mark 15 Phalanx naval anti-aircraft artillery system (CIWS) from the USS Gravely destroyer Arleigh Burke was used to destroy a cruise missile. According to open sources, the missile “flew” (probably was shot down) at a distance of approximately 1.6 km (the effective range of the Mark 15 Phalanx is 1,486 meters, the maximum range is 5,500 meters).
For example, it is noted that previously these missiles were destroyed at a distance of at least 12.8 km or more, and therefore this episode may actually be a kind of “wake-up call”, because in fact the Mark 15 Phalanx (CIWS) system is the last line of defense, and it remains unclear how the Aegis destroyer was able to miss the Yemeni Houthis missile. For comparison, since mid-October last year, at least 68 drones and 19 other cruise and ballistic missiles have been shot down by US Navy destroyers and aircraft.
