US Navy Warship Shoots Down ‘Iranian-Made’ Drone Launched from Yemen: Pentagon

The USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea on Oct. 23, 2018. Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ryan U. Kledzik/U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa via AP

A U.S. Navy warship sailing in the Red Sea shot down an Iranian-made drone that officials say was launched from Yemen on Nov. 29, according to the Pentagon.

The Arleigh-Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer USS Carney shot down the Iranian-made KAS-04 drone at approximately 11 a.m. local time because it was approaching the Navy vessel near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden near the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The Red Sea is a key trade route for shipping and transferring energy supplies.

According to CENTCOM, the “unmanned aerial vehicle,” or drone, was launched from a part of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have recently waded into the ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict; earlier this month claiming to have launched ballistic missiles and one-way drones in the direction of Israel.

“Although its intentions are not known, the [drone] was heading toward the ship,” CENTCOM said.

The USS Carney was escorting a Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship and another vessel carrying military equipment and crew to the region when the drone approached, officials said.

“At the time of the shoot-down, the USS Carney was escorting the USNS SUPPLY (Oiler) and another U.S. flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region,” they added.

There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and no damage to U.S. vessels reported following the incident.

Wednesday’s incident marks the second time in recent weeks that U.S. officials have shot down a drone in the Middle East believed to be launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen.

Exactly one week ago, the USS Thomas Hudner, which is also a Navy destroyer, intercepted multiple one-way attack drones fired at the ship while it was in the Red Sea. The U.S. military said the drones were launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

Drones, Missiles ‘Fired In Israel’s Direction’

In October, officials said the USS Carney shot down multiple enemy drones and cruise missiles allegedly fired by the Houthis from the shore of Western Yemen in the direction of Israel.

“This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region. There were no casualties to U.S. forces and none that we know of to any civilians on the ground,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at the time of that incident.

‘Unsafe’ Maneuvers

One day prior to Wednesday’s incident, Washington accused Tehran of flying a drone within 1,500 yards of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier as it was conducting flight operations in international waters in the Arabian Gulf.

In a statement, Navy officials said the Iranian unmanned aircraft took “unsafe and unprofessional actions” near the ship, adding that “multiple hails and warnings were ignored by Iran.”

“The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKECSG) was conducting routine flight operations in the international waters of the Central Arabian Gulf when it detected an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV was visually identified as Iranian. Its closest point of approach to IKE was approximately 1,500 yards,” U.S. Naval Forces Central Command head Vice Adm. Brad Cooper.

The senior officials added that the drone had  “violated safety precautions” by failing to stay more than 10 nautical miles away from the vessel.

No injuries were reported and no aircraft was damaged during that incident.

The United States is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups and has sought to bolster its military posture in the Middle East in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which threatens to destabilize the wider region.

In the past month alone, Washington has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships, and thousands of U.S. troops.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.