Trump administration strikes on Houthi rebels have cost $200 million in shot-down drones

Houthi rebels in Yemen shot seven US reaper drone for less than six weeks, the loss of aircraft worth more than $ 200 million in what becomes the most dramatic cost of the Pentagon of the military campaign against Iran's militant militants.

According to defense officials, three of the drones were shot last week – suggesting the targeting of militants without a aircraft flying in Yemen has improved. Drones make attacks run or conduct monitoring, and they crash both of the water and to the ground, said officials, who spoke on the condition that it was not identified to discuss military operations.

The US hasincreased attack on Houthis,Launching a day -to -day strike since March 15, when the presidentDonald TrumpOrdered a new, expanded campaign. He promised to use “extremely deadly force” until Houthis stopped their shipping attacks with an important maritime corridor.

Central Command spokesman Dave Eastburn said on Thursday night that the US hit more than 800 target houthi. “These strikes have destroyed many command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, advanced weapon storage locations, and kill hundreds of Houthi warriors and many houthi leaders,” Eastburn said.

Another defense officer said that even though the hostile fire was likely to be caused by drone losses, the incidents were still under the investigation. The official noted that increasing US strikes could add to the aircraft risk, but said the US would make every scale possible to protect troops, equipment and interest in the region. The officer spoke on the condition that was anonymous to comment on sensitive military issues.

Sophisticated drones, built by general atomics, cost nearly $ 30 million each, and generally fly to heights over 40,000 feet (12,100 meters). Houthis leaders continue to refer to strikes in public statements. One of the defense officials said the US lost reaper drones on March 31 and April 3, 9, 13, 18, 19 and 22.

Meanwhile, US senators, raising concerns about civilian casualties caused by American strikes in Yemen. Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tim Kaine of Virginia wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegetth on Thursday asking if the Trump administration “abandoned the steps needed to address its obligations to reduce civilian damage.”

Specifically, they questioned reports that the US had attacked RAS one fuel terminal in Yemen last week that potentially killed more than 70 civilians.

“Military leaders agree that the exciting civilian control skills within US operations lead to better outcomes and civilians who are casualty will definitely undermine the mission that the military has sent to do,” their letter said.

In addition to the collapse of the drones, Houthis continues to firing missiles and one-way attacks of drones on US military ships in the Red Seen and Gulf of Aden. They haven't hit it yet.

The US uses a set of warships, jet fighters, firefighters and drones to strike Houthis, and the aircraft can now launch from the two Navy Carriers in the region.

Hegsetth decided in March to be able to have Navy's warfare in the Middle East, ordering the USS Harry S. Truman to expand its expansion there, while the USS Carl Vinson has esteamed the area.

Truman, along with two of the pests and a cruiser in its strike group, was in the Red Sea. And Vinson, along with two destroyers and a cruiser, is in the Gulf of Aden.

The third destroyer assigned to Truman is in the Mediterranean Sea. And the two other US Navy destroyers were in the Red Sea, but not part of the Truman team.

HegSeth weighs on whether to provide a US Central Command request to regenerate Truman's expansion. A decision to do that could maintain Truman and at least some of its strike groups in the region for weeks.

It is rare in recent years for the US to have two aircraft in the Middle East at the same time. Navy leaders generally opposed the idea because it interferes with ship's maintenance schedules and home time delays for sailors who are strained by the unusual high battle tempo.

Last year, the Biden administration ordered theUSS Dwight D. Eisenhower Aircraft Carrierto stay in the Red Sea for an extended time, as the warships took place theMost of the intense sea battleSince World War II.

Prior to this years since the US has made a lot of warfare of warships in the Middle East.

Houthis is spinningContinued attack of missile and droneagainst commercial and military ships in the region of what the group's leadership described as an effort to end the Israeli war against Hamas on the Gaza Strip.

From November 2023 to January, Houthis targets more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking both of them andKilling four sailors.That has greatly reduced the flow of trade by the Red Sea Corridor, which usually detects $ 1 trillion of goods moving in years.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com