War in the Red Sea: Houthis shoot down 21 US Reapers with low-cost weapons

A silent war is being fought in the Red Sea with drones, ballistic missiles and electronic countermeasures. Incidents such as the shooting down of a Houthi drone by a French FREMM frigate, armed with an Italian Oto Melara gun, are now frequent. But while Western forces show their technological superiority, the surprising effectiveness of the Houthis in conducting asymmetrical warfare is also striking.

From the attack on the Galaxy Leader In November 2023, Yemeni rebels multiplied their operations against commercial shipping. Two ships were sunk, a third hijacked, and four crew members were killed. It is not just a matter of hitting targets linked to Israel: even ships with no connection to Tel Aviv have ended up in the crosshairs, a sign that the aim is to destabilise global trade.

Gli Stati Uniti e i loro alleati – Regno Unito, Francia e altri – hanno risposto con una campagna aerea estesa contro basi missilistiche, radar, depositi e perfino l’impianto petrolifero di Ras Isa. Ma l’efficacia militare di queste operazioni è limitata. I ribelli, pur sotto pressione, sono ancora in grado di lanciare droni e missili: ne hanno scagliati 85 in un solo mese.

Pentagon's nightmare: Reapers shot down by low-cost techniques

The figure that most troubles the Pentagon is the Houthis' ability to shoot down US MQ-9 Reaper drones. Since October 2023 alone, as many as 21 Reaper drones were destroyed. These are state-of-the-art platforms worth $30 million each, the backbones of US surveillance and attack operations. Yet, they fall one after the other under irregular militia fire.

How do they do it? With an unexpected but lethal combination: old upgraded Soviet SAM-6 missiles, Swiss and Chinese radar, mobile missile launchers, and above all, Iranian Saqr systems. The entire apparatus is mounted on trucks, making it difficult to detect and destroy. Mobility is their secret weapon.

But the real breakthrough is electronic: the Houthis have developed countermeasures capable of jamming the GPS and interfere with the Reapers' driving channels. The result? The drones lose control, crash, become sitting ducks. You don't need million-dollar weapons to hit them: all you need is technical intelligence, adaptation, and a good underground logistical network.

Added to this are sophisticated security tactics: weapons depots are hidden in tunnels in the mountains, commanders move around a lot and do not use electronic communications. It is hi-tech guerrilla warfare, combining tribal cunning with electronic warfare.

Western raids are not enough. The Houthis' decentralised structure and resilience make each bombardment a blow to the dragon's tail, never its head. And a ground offensive remains implausible, given the weakness of Yemeni forces and internal rivalries within the anti-Houthi front.

The Western response: deterrence and direct threats to Tehran

In an attempt to re-establish supremacy, the US has strengthened its military presence in the region. Two aircraft carriers, Truman e VinsonThey operate in the Red Sea with extensive air and sea support. Six B-2 bombers are deployed in Diego Garcia, equipped with GBU-57 bunker buster bombs, capable of destroying deep underground targets.

Donald Trump's return to the White House marked a change of tone. On 15 March 2025, he authorised new attacks against the Houthis, declaring: 'Many of their commanders are no longer with us'. He then sent a direct message to Tehran: 'Stop supporting your puppets, otherwise you will feel the real pain'.

Trump also accused the Biden administration of allowing Iran to become stronger, promising a new strategy based on 'peace through strength'. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell reiterated that the goal is to re-establish deterrence by any means necessary.

The stakes are enormous: approximately 15% of global maritime traffic passes through the Red Sea. Continuing attacks have forced many companies to avoid the route, with a significant impact on the cost and timing of global logistics.

The conflict now risks expanding. The effectiveness of the Houthis against American drones, a symbol of Western technological superiority, has challenged an entire military paradigm. Should Iran become directly involved, the crisis could deflagrate far beyond the borders of Yemen, turning into a geopolitical storm with global consequences.