Another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone was downed in Yemen, with images and video surfaced online purportedly showing the aircraft targeted by a surface-to-air missile in Marib province. The footage, released by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, shows the drone largely intact with its tail assembly disconnected but without visible blast damage.
Imagine you’re Yemeni and you’re standing on a $30 million American MQ-9 you shot down. pic.twitter.com/xnYk1mHr77
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) May 29, 2024
This incident marks the sixth MQ-9 Reaper drone lost by the U.S. in Yemen since October 2023. The Reaper, valued at around $30 million, is a sophisticated drone capable of high-altitude, long-endurance missions.
The Houthis shot down the American MQ-9 drone with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun pic.twitter.com/0QWW3iBukm
— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) May 29, 2024
The U.S. military, under U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), has not officially acknowledged the loss of the drone. A U.S. defense official, speaking anonymously, stated that the U.S. Air Force has not lost any aircraft in the region, reflecting a standard response in intelligence-sensitive operations.
The persistence of Houthi attacks highlights the ongoing instability in Yemen, a region critical for global shipping routes through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Since the conflict in Yemen began in 2014, with the Houthis seizing much of the north and the capital, Sanaa, the U.S. has lost several drones, underscoring the risks posed by surface-to-air missile capabilities in the hands of the rebels.
⚡️Unconfirmed video supposedly showing a downed MQ9 Reaper in Yemen pic.twitter.com/5Wwx75IPDM
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) May 29, 2024
Expanded Coverage:
