The Houthis, in mid-March, had warned: we will also attack ships in the Indian Ocean. Now they have done so, making good on the threat. The cargo ship MSC Orion was hit by a drone on April 26 about 400 miles southeast of the Horn of Africa.
The ship, managed by the Geneva company, suffered minor damage and continued on route. The aircraft that reached it probably had a not too powerful charge. However, what is relevant is the action itself. For three reasons. The first. The fighters expand the space of their activity aimed at destabilizing trade routes. The second. It is an additional problem for the coalition units deployed in the sector, their circle of protection must be extended. The third. The faction confirms a continuous capacity for adaptation and operational flexibility using different types of weapons. Experts wonder how the guerrillas manage to be quite precise in the “launches” as some of the raids go beyond the possibilities of their intelligence. Are they assisted by the Pasdaran? Tehran has established a command-control center entrusted to a highly experienced officer while its spy ship, the Behshad, remained in the area for a long time and is currently returning to “home” waters.
The movement has missiles and drones with an operational “arm” of approximately 1600-1700 kilometres, equipment arriving from Iran in continuous evolution taking into account “field” or sea trials. Ballistic carriers, cruise vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles with explosive warheads can be used. Below the coast are other options: mines, kamikaze boats, drones.
Another interesting development in perspective. The Houthis are expanding the underground bunkers intended to house the most important weapons. This was revealed by a report from the IISS research institute which released satellite images of the works. For years the militia has built structures dug into the mountains and scattered the “batteries” of missiles in order to increase the survival of the arsenal in the event of enemy actions. Countermeasures also highlighted by the Pentagon after the numerous retaliatory strikes conducted right in Yemen. Several targets were well protected and the limited Anglo-American retaliations – as expected – were not sufficient to create a principle of deterrence. The militants not only persist with attacks on the canal but relaunch the challenge.
