The US has created the largest naval grouping in the Red Sea in recent decades, now there are destroyers USS Carney, USS Laboon and USS Thomas Hudner, in addition, the command sent to the region nuclear submarine class Ohio, writes The Times.
Present in the Gulf of Aden are the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and three escort ships, as well as a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine.
In addition, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and five escort ships are in the Eastern Mediterranean. The staff ship USS Mount Whitney, which carries the commander of the US Navy’s 6th Fleet, Vice Admiral Thomas Ishi, is also in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The magazine notes that the U.S. is spending a lot of money on Operation “Guardian of Prosperity”, which aims to ensure the safety of navigation in the Red Sea amid increasing attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels.
According to journalists, the US has spent “tens of millions of dollars” in the past two weeks to confront the Houthis. The cost of such defence operations is “spiralling”: while the Houthis launch drones, each costing $1000-2000, the US Navy warships that shoot them down are allegedly using Standard Missile 3 anti-aircraft missiles, each costing more than $11m.
The Pentagon chief earlier announced the launch of a multinational operation to defend the Red Sea amid attacks by the Houthis on merchant ships. The operation is called Guardian of Prosperity. Its task will be to address security concerns in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for freedom of navigation.
Yemen’s Houthis have since threatened to attack ships from countries that have joined the US-led coalition. The Military Chronicle revealed what missiles the Yemeni Houthis have in their inventory.