Yemeni operations force US to invest in cheaper air defense systems

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
11 Apr 2024 00:29

The US's support for the Israeli genocide has unveiled the immense cost of painting military hegemony around the world.

The USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea, on November 12, 2018 (AP)

The US military is working with private companies to invest in cheaper but effective systems to shoot down drones, US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth stated on Wednesday.

"We are working with companies... to try to invest in smaller, very effective, but less expensive types of UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] and counter UAS systems," Wormuth said during a House of Representatives hearing.

The official made the remark in response to US lawmakers' concerns about the US Navy shooting costly surface-to-air missiles to down inexpensive drones launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) toward the Red Sea.

Wormuth said a "laser capability" has seen a lot of potential to be deployed in the ongoing US investments.

Aiding the Israeli genocide on the Palestinian people, the US Navy was deployed in the Red Sea, alongside other NATO Navies, to secure the passage of ships to Israeli-occupied ports in Palestine. This came after the Yemeni Armed Forces launched naval, missile, and unmanned operations to support the Palestinian people.

High defense costs unjustified

Until mid-February alone, the US Navy had launched around 100 Standard Missiles to counter Yemeni drones and anti-ship missiles. This cost means that the US has spent at least $210,000,000 worth of missiles in a span of a few weeks. On the other hand, the YAF has launched, what has been described by US generals, as "cheap" drones and missiles to impose their naval blockade on "Israel".

This is not to mention the malfunctions experienced by NATO air defenses in the Red Sea, the last of which led to the axing of the Danish defense chief and the recalling of a Danish frigate. Naval operations in the Red Sea have also brought substantial logistical costs that the US and its allies have to pay, in order to reload their weapons systems, traveling to bases around the region in order to secure supplies, rather than reload during deployment.

Inexpensive systems that the US Army seeks are nowhere near the current cost of missiles deployed on US Navy ships, with the short-range and last resort RIM-116 (RAM) interceptors costing a whopping $905,000. The US operations at sea have highlighted the high cost of upholding dominant power through military force.