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 near-missile incident involving the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea. A Houthi-launched missile reportedly came within 200 meters of the aircraft carrier, underscoring the growing risks from non-state actors.

-Using a range of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, Houthi forces have increasingly targeted international ships amid rising regional tensions.

-The incident underscores the challenges of protecting valuable assets such as aircraft carriers from unconventional threats, with implications for the US Navy’s readiness and strategy in more contested areas, especially in the Indo-Pacific.

Houthi missile nearly hits US aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower

The Houthi rebels almost hit a US aircraft carrier with a missile, a new report has found. The incident happened earlier this year, but only recently reported in the October issue of CTC Sentinel (Combating Terrorism Center at West Point’s monthly publication), suggests that the Houthi missile came within just 200 yards of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

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

An attack on the shipping lane

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, control international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden since the war between Israel and Hamas began last October. The Eisenhower was sent to the region along with other American and European ships to protect civilian ships transiting the shipping lanes.

The Eisenhower was especially quiet busy during the deployment, “155 surface-to-air missiles, 135 land-attack cruise missiles, nearly 60 air-to-air missiles and 420 air-to-surface weapons were deployed in what is being called a “historic” combat deployment,” Newsweek reported.

But the Eisenhower has also been a target. The Houthis, who have a diverse arsenal including air, land and sea drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, have pushed back against the US presence in the region. The Eisenhower has relied on the Carrier Strike Group, which also includes a cruiser and destroyers, for protection. “The cruiser and destroyers, which were armed with air defense missiles, formed a layer of defense to protect the aircraft carrier,” Newsweek reported. “Meanwhile, fighter jets aboard the aircraft carrier, 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 weapons systems for close-range threats.

Still, the fact that low-tech drones and missiles, in the possession of a relatively inept terrorist organization, could pose a legitimate threat to a multi-billion dollar US supercarrier should be a concern – and speaks to the increased relevance of non-state actors in the post-Cold War world order. The aircraft carrier is a symbol of a country’s prestige, military power and technical prowess; that a rebel group armed with drones and missiles can to threaten such a symbol perhaps transcends symbolism.

The supercarrier’s vulnerability to the Houthi The rebels are also likely to heighten concerns about the Navy’s preparedness for a confrontation with China. US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, where China has become increasingly assertive, depends on successful aircraft carrier deterrence. But to protect the aircraft carrier fleet from China’s advanced weapons (compared to the Houthis), the US flagships could have a muted impact on any conflict.

But honestly, the American public doesn’t have the tolerance for the loss of a supercarrier, nor should it. The human and fiscal toll of losing just one supercarrier would be a shock to the consciousness of a country that has been involved in foreign conflicts in a slow-burn, partially committed manner for almost two generations.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with a total of more than 1,000 articles on issues relating to global affairs. Harrison, a lawyer, pilot, guitarist and minor professional hockey player, joined the United States Air Force as a Pilot Trainee 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 credits: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock. The main image is the USS Ford undergoing US Navy ‘shock testing’.