According to a Pentagon press briefing, the U.S. Navy has successfully intercepted three cruise missiles and a series of drones launched from Yemen over the Red Sea.
The USS Carney, a guided-missile destroyer, neutralized the threats, which were potentially aimed at Israeli targets.
Brigadier General Patrick Ryder stated, The crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney, operating in the northern Red Sea earlier today, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. He further added, We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially toward targets in Israel."
As reported by the Epoch Times, Ryder refrained from specifying who sanctioned the missile launch or whether the U.S. government had knowledge of the intended targets, be it Israeli or American forces.
Ryder highlighted the robustness of the U.S. defenses, describing the response as standard procedure for threats in the region. "This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile-defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region," he said. He further added, The decision was made that it posed a potential threat based on its flight profile, and so the decision was made to take it down.
The Brookings Institution reported that the missiles were likely launched by the Houthis, a Yemeni faction historically supported by Hezbollah and Iran. Post the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Houthis are believed to have adopted the slogan God is great, death to the U.S., death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam."
The USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, is equipped with the Aegis missile defense system, as described by the U.S. Military Patriot YouTube channel. This system, developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, works in conjunction with standard missile interceptors to track and neutralize ballistic missiles.
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