25 April 2025
Houthi militants in Yemen managed to take down three U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones this past week, bringing the militant group's kill score against Reapers to seven since March of this year, and a total of 15 since October 2023..
Since the Trump Administration's expanded air strikes again the Houthis a couple of weeks back, it is estimated, by White House press secretary Karoline Leavit, that more than 200 sorties have been launched. However, the Pentagon has said the air strikes have reached around 750 since March 15.
The military goal of what the United States has titled "Operation Rough Rider" is to stop the Houthis from continuing its attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
The loss of the U.S. Reaper drones isn't a huge number, of course, but given the fact that each MQ-9 costs $28 million—and the Air Force has a current inventory of just 280 of these drones—the destroyed combat UAVs can be considered significant.
In early April, the Operation Rough Rider air battle cost the United States approximately $200 million dollars in additional munitions, and it is estimated the figure may rise to $1 billion.
"The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen," said a spokesperson from U.S. Central Command regarding a recent strike at the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa Fuel Port. "This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully."
However, the U.S. military has had very limited success in obliterating Houthi drones, missiles, and command operations, as these combat supplies are protected in underground bunkers.
