How Houthi Rebels Attack Shipping Vessels in the Red Sea

Uncover the sophisticated tactics used by Houthi rebels to target shipping vessels in the Red Sea, a critical maritime route for global trade.

Introduction: How Houthi Rebels Attack Shipping Vessels

The Red Sea is an essential sea route that links Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is an important Trade Route and has several strategic ports, such as the Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Nevertheless, the Red Sea is not only a war zone for Houthi rebels in Yemen. They use various armaments such as missiles, drones, and explosives to target shipping vessels in the region.

Types of Houthis Attacks

The Houthis have employed different tactics to target shipping vessels in the Red Sea. These include:

Missiles

The Houthis have employed diverse missiles to attack shipping vessels such as the P-15, P-21, and S_75. They travel at speeds as high as Mach 3.5 and have warheads that may weigh up to a thousand pounds each.

Drones

Houthis have also attacked shipping vessels with drones. Such drones are usually loitering munitions; they can stand above a target area long before attacking.

Houthi drones normally have anti-radiation seekers that guide them to find a radar signal reflected by ships.

Explosives

The Houthis have also bombarded shipping vessels with explosives. These bombs are usually located on the seabed or attached to the hull of a boat. As the ship moves, both damage and sinking are caused by explosions.

Scenarios of Houthi Attacks

The Houthis typically attack shipping vessels in one of four scenarios:

Scenario 1:

A ship that is less than 80 kilometers away from the coast will have to deal with an attack by a P-21 missile launched by Houthis.

The P-21 is not a very fast rocket, but it can travel at speeds of up to Mach 0.95. They will usually fire the P-21 from ground-based missile launchers.

Scenario 2:

However, the Houthis may employ a modified S-75 missile to strike at an appropriate target provided it is within 45 kilometers of land.

The S-75 may be an old missile system, but it has also been re-engineered by the Houthis to attack ships. S-75 can accelerate up to Mach 3.

Scenario 3:

The Houthi may fire a swarm of loitering drones ranging close to 15 kilometers from land, towards the ship.

Anti-radar seekers are used in these drones to locate radar transmissions coming from the ships. The drones are usually fired from land-based launchers by the Houthis.

Scenario 4:

The Houthis can target a large warship, such as an aircraft carrier for example with various types of weaponry.

These may include missiles, drones, and explosives. These weapons tend to be launched from land-based and shipborne launchers by the Houthis.

The video below explains more about the sophisticated tactics used by Houthi rebels to target shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

Impact of Houthis Attacks

The Houthis’ attacks on shipping ships in the Red Sea have dramatically changed international trade.

These attacks have led to disruptions of shipping lanes and increased freight costs. They have also voiced concerns about the safety of shipping in the Red Sea.

Countermeasures to Houthis Attacks

Several measures can be applied to mitigate the likelihood of Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping vessels. These include:

Improving intelligence gathering: Intelligence on the capacities and intentions of the Houthis should be good. This data can be employed for designing good countermeasures.

Improving maritime security: Countries need to coordinate to promote greater maritime security in the Red Sea. This may include augmenting the warships and other maritime security forces patrols.

Developing new technologies: Several emerging technologies might be employed to defend shipping vessels from Houthi attacks. These include:

Anti-missile systems: In fact, these systems can be utilized to intercept and destroy incoming missiles.

Drone mitigation systems: These systems can detect, track, and dismantle drones.

Explosive detection systems: These systems detect explosives placed aboard a ship.

Conclusion

The threat of Houthis’s attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea to trade ships is a serious threat to international transport.

Yet, there are a few things that can be done to minimize the threat of these attacks. Through enhancing intelligence gathering, maritime security, and technology we can ensure the safety of ships on shipping lanes.