WASHINGTON: The high costs of countering Yemeni drone attacks have alarmed the Pentagon as it seeks to eliminate this growing threat in the Red Sea, according to a Politico newspaper report.

The Washington-based news outlet noted that Yemeni forces have allegedly launched over 100 drones toward Israeli-linked commercial vessels in the past month, supporting the Palestinian cause.

US estimates indicate that the cost of each domestically-made drone is $2,000. In stark contrast, munitions used by US warships in the Red Sea range from $1 million to $4.3 million each.

Even though the US Navy has successfully intercepted at least 38 of the drones, the high cost of this operation is becoming a pressing issue. Mick Mulroy, a former US defence official and CIA officer, while talking to Politico, highlighted the need for the US to explore cost-effective defence systems against these attacks.

Complicating matters, US warships in the region face challenges as they cannot reload their munitions at sea. To address this escalating threat, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the creation of an international maritime task force named Operation Prosperity Guardian.

While 19 nations are reported to have joined, only the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain have been publicly announced as part of the coalition.

In response, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement, cautioned nations against joining the US-led coalition for the sake of Israel.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2023