The Red Sea Is Burning: Behind the Clashes Shaking the U.S. Navy’s Prestige

NYN | Reports and Analyses

The American military and strategic affairs website Task & Purpose has shed light on a deepening crisis facing the U.S. Navy, namely the rapid and unprecedented depletion of its missile stockpile due to ongoing operations in the Red Sea amid escalating attacks by the Houthis (Ansar Allah).

According to the report, the U.S. Navy is currently engaged in its longest continuous naval combat campaign since World War II, operating in what is described as one of the most complex and intense maritime environments in decades.

This is primarily due to the nature of the new threats, as most of the modern Yemeni missiles fall outside the Navy’s previous combat experience, with the exception of some older models.

The report noted that the period between October 2023 and January 2025 saw the most intense wave of naval clashes, with U.S. forces firing nearly 400 missiles at Yemeni targets, in addition to over 160 five-inch artillery shells—primarily used to intercept drones and low-cost, close-range threats.

The report also revealed a clear vulnerability in the Navy’s ability to withstand prolonged wars of attrition—something military experts have described as a “deeply concerning reality.”

The site quoted retired Commander Bryan Clark as saying, “The cost has been enormous,” noting that the Navy has faced an unusual pattern of warfare characterized by high-intensity fire and unconventional tactics, marking a major shift from the kind of conflicts Washington is used to.

In light of this situation, the U.S. Navy has begun reviewing its defensive strategies, as overreliance on missiles in such a high-threat environment as the Red Sea may jeopardize its operational sustainability.

As a result, American forces are gradually reverting to the use of artillery and conventional weapons as a practical response to low-cost, high-frequency attacks.

This report represents a rare admission from Washington regarding the scale of the military challenge posed by Yemeni attacks, illustrating how air and naval operations from Sana’a have managed to shake one of the world’s most powerful naval forces in a region that is among the most strategically sensitive and vital to global shipping.