Just 200 meters away: Houthi missile almost hits a Navy aircraft carrier

What you need to know: Earlier this year, a missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia came dangerously close to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), missing the carrier by just 200 meters while operating in the Red Sea.

-The missile incident, which occurred in June 2023, highlighted the Houthis’ growing capabilities in targeting US naval assets. Although the missile did not hit the aircraft carrier, it emphasized the persistent threat and the need for greater vigilance.

-Similar incidents have been reported, including an incident in January involving a missile that nearly hit the U.S.S. Severely (DDG-107).

No U.S. Navy aircraft carrier has been sunk in combat since the end of World War II, but a new report from the United States Military Academy’s Counterterrorism Center said one missile came just 200 meters from hitting the USS. Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) earlier this year.

It may not have been enough to sink, or perhaps even cripple, the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, but it still would have caused considerable damage and likely resulted in a significant loss of life.

Too close for comfort to the Navy

Writing for the October issue of CTC SentinelMichael Knights – Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow of the Military and Security Program at the Washington Near East Policy Institute – highlighted the capabilities of the Iran-backed Houthi militia operating in Yemen.

“The combination of wide-area surveillance, close target tracking, and terminal guidance has allowed the Houthis to achieve some impressive feats of marksmanship, such as an apparent near-miss on a US aircraft carrier,” Knights wrote.

The author added: “According to some reports, an ASBM or other missile arrived on a very shallow trajectory, with minimal warning, with no chance of interception, and landed about 200 meters from the Eisenhower.”

The incident reportedly occurred last June while CVN-69 was operating in the Red Sea, but the Nimitz-class flattop was not the only warship to have seen such a difficult situation this year.

On January 30, 2024, a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile came within a mile of the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS. Severely (DDG-107) – just seconds after hitting the battleship. Fortunately, the destroyer’s Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) was able to destroy the missile in flight.

It bears repeating that the US Navy must remain vigilant and at the top of its game, while the enemy just needs to get lucky.

Houthis claimed one death

It was also in June that Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree repeated the claim that the rebel group had successfully targeted the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower – and images that purported to show damage to the transporter went viral on social media (see above). Although many of the posts were satire, Iranian state media reported the attacks as fact.

The US Navy, in turn, responded with its own social media campaign in July, which showed that it was business as usual on the aircraft carrier – including the now-famous “Taco Tuesdays”.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower it was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in response to the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza and responded to Houthi missile attacks on Israel as well as commercial shipping in the Red Sea. CVN-69 remained in the region until July, when it returned to Naval Station Norfolk.

More flattops ready for action

The U.S. Navy has continued to rotate aircraft carriers to the region and currently the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is on station. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) also spent much of the summer in the Middle East before returning to San Diego. The carrier arrived at its home port this week.

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) recently arrived in the North Sea to conduct joint operations with NATO allies and partners. The CVN-75 was originally slated to replace the CVN-71 in the Middle East to allow the US to maintain two carriers in the region – and could still be sent there if necessary. However, in addition to the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1), its amphibious ready group, and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are now deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Author experience and knowledge: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer living in Michigan. He has contributed for more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 articles published over a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly about military equipment, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Pedro is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Settlement works. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: (email protected).

Image Credit: The image above is of a fake Houthi photo of a burning US Navy aircraft carrier. All others are Creative Commons.