3 U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones, worth about $30 million each, have crashed off Yemen since November

[Pelican Press 0]

3 U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones, worth about $30 million each, have crashed off Yemen since November

A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed off the coast of Yemen this week, possibly downed by Houthi rebels, according to a U.S. official. The cause is under investigation.

The Iran-backed Houthis have brought down two other MQ-9s since November, the first in early November and then another in February. Each drone costs roughly $30 million, according to the

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The drones flying off the coast of Yemen are part of the U.S. military’s efforts to help defend commercial and military ships against ongoing attacks by the Houthis. 

File: A MQ-9 Reaper drone flies by during a training mission at Creech Air Force Base on November 17, 2015, in Indian Springs, Nevada.

Isaac Brekken/Getty Images

Since the outbreak of *******’s war with ******, the Houthis have attacked or threatened more than 100 commercial or military ships in the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim their attacks are a protest against *******’s war against ****** and the U.S. support for *******, but U.S. officials point out that many of the ships the group has targeted have no connection to *******.

As a countermeasure, the U.S and the ******* Kingdom, with support from other countries, have conducted four rounds of ****** airstrikes to ******** Houthi capabilities in Yemen. In addition, the U.S. military regularly conducts self-defense strikes against Houthi missiles and drones when it sees the Houthis preparing for an *******. 

The U.S. also launched a defensive maritime operation, dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian, with more than 20 partner nations, to defend commercial ships from Houthi attacks. 

So far, only one Houthi ******* has resulted in deaths. An ******* in March on the Liberian-owned Merchant Ship True Confidence ******* two crew members. 

The pace of attacks has slowed in recent weeks, but the attacks are still continuing, including on Thursday when the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden. U.S. Central Command in a statement said there were no injuries or damage from that *******. 

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said earlier this month that the U.S. “certainly will continue to do everything we can to protect commercial shipping through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and, of course, do everything that we need to to protect our forces.” 

Eleanor Watson

Eleanor Watson is a CBS News reporter covering the Pentagon.

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