A U.S. MQ-9 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) was shot down by the Yemeni Air Defense Force, an ally of the Houthis, while it was conducting a sortie over the western province of al-Hudaydah, where a UN-sponsored ceasefire is implemented.
The Houthis media wing released a video and several photos showing the remains of the U.S. UCAV, which was likely being operated by the U.S. Air Force or even the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
https://youtu.be/6tjeonVAGbQ
A military source told the Yemeni al-Masirah TV that the UCAV was “engaged in hostilities” over the western coast of Yemen.
The MQ-9 “Reaper,” which was first presented by General Atomics in 2007, has a rage of more than 1,800km and an endurance of up to 14 hours. The UCAV can carry more than 1,000kg of precision-guided weapons.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Sari, a spokesman of the pro-Houthis wing of the Yemeni Armed Forces, said that the U.S. UCAV was targeted with a “suitable ground-to-air missile.”
“There is constant development of air defenses to protect all Yemeni airspace and achieve full sovereignty,” the spokesman added.
The Houthis possess several types of man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS). However, large drones like the Reaper are usually shot down with modified air-to-air missiles, such as Soviet-made, infrared-guided R-27T and R-73E.
Last March, the Yemeni Air Defense Force shoot down an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Sanaa with a modified missile. Few weeks later, a MQ-1C Gray Eagle UCAV was shot down, also over the capital.
The Yemeni Air Defense Force growing capabilities have become a real threat to the U.S. aerial operations over Yemen, which are meant to support the Saudi-led coalition.
Source: Southfront
Sounds like both the US and Russians are testing each other’s hardware using proxies.
Sort of, Lets Let the customers die while we refine our weapons. The Nazis did it in Spain, and knew from that war their Stuka dive bomber was dated.
Eisenhower was right when he warned us to beware of the Military industrial complex.
We have great, superior weapons. But they’re being brought down with clever bolt-on mods that upgrade older Russian missiles.
Well said Lynn