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.
“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.
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.‘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.“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.
