American Newspaper: Houthis Introduce a New Naval Weapon That Is Difficult for the International Coalition to Detect

NYN | Analytics & reports:

The American newspaper “The Maritime Executive,” which specializes in maritime commercial affairs, reported that the Sanaa government forces have introduced a new naval weapon that poses an unexpected threat to American and Western coalition forces in the Red Sea and is difficult to detect.

The newspaper published an article on its website, translated by “Yemen New News,” by Sri Lankan Navy officer and military research specialist at the Sri Lankan National Security Studies Institute, Amila Prasanja, titled “A New Threat in the Red Sea: Houthi Unmanned Submarines.” She began by stating that “the Red Sea, this vital passage, now faces a new and unexpected threat represented by unmanned marine vehicles deployed by the Houthis in Yemen.”

The Sri Lankan officer added that “the Houthis’ use of unmanned vehicles represents a significant escalation in the ongoing Red Sea crisis. These submersible vehicles, although not as advanced as military submarines, pose a major challenge to naval operations primarily designed to counter surface and aerial threats.”

She noted that “the emergence of this threat necessitates a comprehensive reassessment of the maritime defense strategies and tactics used by the international coalition in the Red Sea,” pointing out that the introduction of this new type of weapon by the Sanaa government forces, or as she referred to them, the “Houthis,” is “alarming in the already tense security scene in the Red Sea.”

The Sri Lankan Navy officer emphasized that the international coalition has failed to obtain information regarding the details of the submersible vehicles possessed by the Sanaa government forces, stating that their details remain unclear. She indicated that “the operational range and payload capacity of the Houthi unmanned vehicles are currently unknown. However, even a modest range, measured in tens of miles, could enable them to target commercial shipping within the Red Sea. Their potential payload could include mines, torpedoes, or explosives packed into the hull, possibly sufficient to cause significant damage to ships, and they are difficult to detect and destroy before reaching their targets.”

She also stressed in her article’s conclusion that naval defense systems designed to counter surface and aerial threats are “largely ineffective against such underwater Houthi submarines lurking beneath the waves. This could pose a significant challenge to the international coalition forces operating in the Red Sea.”

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announced the introduction of “submarines” in the battle that the Sanaa government forces are waging against the American and European coalition forces aimed at deterring Sanaa’s attacks on Israeli ships.

In a televised speech on February 22nd, al-Houthi said: “Operations in the Red and Arabian Seas, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, in support of Gaza, are ongoing, and we are escalating in both quantity and quality, activating missiles, drones, and military boats, and we have also introduced the submarine weapon.”

Since late last year, Sanaa government forces have been targeting Israeli ships and their affiliates in the Red and Arabian Seas before announcing the extension of their operations to parts of the Indian Ocean.

Earlier, they announced the beginning of the fourth phase of escalation against ships “even to the Mediterranean” to support the Palestinians in Gaza.

They stated that their operations against “Israel” would continue until the latter stops its genocide in Gaza and lifts the blockade.

In response, the United States and Britain launched airstrikes on Yemen, prompting the Sanaa government forces to announce that their operations would include targeting American and British commercial and military ships in response to what they called the “American-British aggression.”

On February 19, 2024, the European Union announced the launch of a military operation named “Aspis,” led by Italy in the Red Sea, while the United States announced the launch of an operation named “Guardian of Prosperity,” both aimed at countering the attacks launched by Sanaa government forces against “Israel.”