The USS Mason intercepted and brought down an aerial drone on Wednesday, a drone that authorities linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen with ties to Iran. The USS Mason intercepted and brought down an aerial drone on Wednesday, a drone that authorities linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen with ties to Iran. This event marks the most recent instance of a U.S. warship thwarting drone and missile threats in the Middle East over the past few weeks.
“We can confirm the USS Mason shot down an uncrewed aerial vehicle originating from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen (...) Dec. 6 in the southern Red Sea,” a military official granted anonymity said in an email to Navy Times. “(...) no damage or injury to U.S. equipment or personnel.”
As with other recent instances of Navy ships shooting down air drones, the official said the drone was headed toward the Mason but that its intended target is unclear.
The incident comes days after Navy destroyer USS Carney shot down multiple air drones Sunday as several merchant ships came under attack by Houthis in Yemen missiles fired from Houthi rebel-controlled areas of Yemen, as well as continued attacks on U.S. ground forces in Iraq and Syria following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
Late last month, the Pentagon said that Houthis fired at least one ballistic missile in the general direction of the Mason in the Gulf of Aden as it responded to a distress call from the Israeli-linked commercial vessel Central Park.
Last month, a group of five armed individuals from Somalia boarded the Central Park, aiming to seize control of the vessel and gain entry to the crew cabin. The crew of the commercial ship secured themselves "within a secure refuge," as per the statement.
Upon the arrival of the Mason following the distress signal, the armed individuals departed the location. Nevertheless, a search and seizure team dispatched by the Mason apprehended them while aboard the ship.
The USS Mason operates within the carrier strike group led by the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, which left Norfolk, Virginia, in October for its planned mission. Last month, the carrier group navigated through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf.
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