Yemeni Rebel Drone Shootdowns Cost the U.S. $2.6 Billion Each… Concerns Over Expenses

U.S. political media outlet Politico reports that there are concerns within the U.S. Department of Defense over the substantial costs associated with addressing the security threats posed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on the Red Sea trade route. The U.S. military’s losses are snowballing as expensive missiles, costing more than 2.3 million dollars each, are being used to shoot down the low-cost drones that the Houthi rebels are using.

On the 19th (local time), Politico quoted high-ranking officials within the U.S. Department of Defense saying, “The cost of using expensive anti-aircraft missiles, which cost over 2 million dollars each, to shoot down Houthi drones that cost only a few thousand dollars each, is becoming increasingly concerning.”

According to Politico, the one-way suicide drones used by the Houthi rebels cost between $2,000 and $20,000 each. In contrast, the anti-aircraft missiles launched from U.S. warships to intercept them cost between $1.8 million and $2.1 million. This is a price difference of more than 1,000 times.

Since the Houthi rebels began indiscriminate attacks on trade ships in the Red Sea after the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the U.S. military has shot down approximately 38 Houthi drones and missiles in the past two months. Most of these are estimated to be low-cost one-way drones. A simple calculation suggests that the U.S. military has incurred losses of more than 88 million dollars in shooting down Houthi drones.

Despite these losses, the U.S. military continues to maintain a large fleet in the Red Sea to block attacks from the Houthi rebels. This is because the Red Sea trade route, which connects to the Suez Canal, is considered vital. More than 12% of the world’s daily cargo volume passes through this route, making it a crucial artery for the shipment of goods like Europe’s freight and the Middle East’s oil.

The U.S. government plans to protect the security of the Red Sea trade route by establishing a multinational fleet with ten allied nations, in addition to its own forces. However, if the Houthi rebels launch indiscriminate attacks using cheap drones, costs are expected to snowball.

Meanwhile, the Houthi rebels are threatening to intensify their drone and missile attacks in resistance to U.S. intervention. Houthi leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi declared in a speech on Al-Masirah TV, operated by the rebels, on the 20th, “If the U.S. intervenes more, we will not stand by. We will target the U.S. and their warships, their interests, with missiles.”

By. Hyun Woo Lee