The Houthis came very close to hitting a navy aircraft carrier with a missile

What you need to know: A recent CTC Sentinel report revealed a missile near-miss incident involving the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea. A Houthi-launched missile reportedly came within 200 meters of the carrier, underscoring the growing risks posed by non-state actors.

– With an array of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, Houthi forces have increasingly targeted international ships amid rising regional tensions.

– The incident underscores the challenges of protecting high-value assets such as aircraft carriers against unconventional threats, with implications for US naval preparedness and strategy in more contested areas, particularly the Indo-Pacific.

Houthi missile almost hits US aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower

Houthi rebels almost hit a US aircraft carrier with a missile, a new report says. The incident, which took place at the beginning of the year, but it was only fair reported in the October issue of the CTC Sentinel (West Point’s monthly publication of the Counter-Terrorism Center), suggests that the Houthi missile came within 200 meters of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“According to some accounts, an ASBM (anti-ship ballistic missile) or other missile arrived on a very low trajectory with minimal warning, no chance of interception, and splashed about 200 meters (656 feet)” from the Eisenhower . In other words: it was a close call.

Attacking the shipping lane

The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden since the war between Israel and Hamas began last October. Eisenhower, along with other American and European ships, were sent to the region to protect civilian vessels crossing the sea lanes.

Eisenhower, in particular, was quite occupied during the deployment, expending “155 surface-to-air missiles, 135 land-attack cruise missiles, nearly 60 air-to-air missiles and 420 air-to-surface weapons during what is being called a ‘historic’ combat deployment ,” Newsweek reported.

But Eisenhower was also a target. The Houthis, who have a diverse arsenal including air, land and sea drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, have renounced the US presence in the region. Eisenhower relied on the Carrier Strike Group, which includes a cruiser and destroyers, for protection. “The cruiser and destroyers, which were armed with air defense missiles, formed a defensive layer to protect the aircraft carrier,” Newsweek reported. “Meanwhile, carrier-based fighter jets equipped with air-to-air missiles can shoot down slow-flying drones and missiles.” Fortunately, the Eisenhower itself is equipped with self-defense weapons, including surface-to-air missiles and weapon systems for close-in threats.

However, the fact that low-tech drones and missiles in the possession of a relatively shabby terrorist organization can pose a legitimate threat to a multi-billion dollar US supercarrier should be a point of concern – and speaks to the increasing relevance of non-state actors in the post-Cold War global order. The aircraft carrier is a symbol for a nation’s prestige, military power and technical prowess; that a rebel group armed with drones and missiles can threaten such a symbol can transcend symbolism.

Supercarrier vulnerability to Houthis The rebels could also heighten concerns about naval preparedness for a confrontation with China. US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, where China has become increasingly assertive, depends on the successful deterrence of the aircraft carrier. However, to keep the carrier fleet safe from China’s sophisticated weaponry (versus Houthi weaponry), America’s flagships can have little impact on any conflict.

But frankly, the American public doesn’t have, and shouldn’t have, the tolerance for losing a supercarrier. The human and fiscal toll implied in the loss of a single supercarrier would be a shock to the conscious for a nation that has been able to engage in foreign conflict in a slow, partially committed fashion for nearly two generations.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with more than 1,000 articles on issues involving global business. A lawyer, pilot, guitarist and professional minor hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a trainee pilot but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock. The main image is the USS Ford undergoing US Navy “shock trials”.