Houthi Cripple U.S. Air Power with 17 MQ-9 Reapers Downed, US$595 Million (RM2.6 Bln) Lost
These downings represent a staggering US$595 million (RM2.6 billion) in high-tech military hardware losses for Washington — a cost borne not only in dollars but in strategic credibility, as asymmetric forces continue to challenge American air dominance using far less sophisticated means.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, the United States military has suffered the loss of 17 MQ-9 Reaper drones, each carrying a price tag of approximately US$35 million (RM154 million), to the evolving drone-hunting capabilities of Yemen’s Houthi insurgency.
These downings represent a staggering US$595 million (RM2.6 billion) in high-tech military hardware losses for Washington — a cost borne not only in dollars but in strategic credibility, as asymmetric forces continue to challenge American air dominance using far less sophisticated means.
The most recent incident saw another U.S.-operated MQ-9 Reaper drone destroyed over the western Yemeni province of al-Hudaydah — a region of increasing geopolitical friction due to its proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most vital maritime chokepoints.
“To express our solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people and their noble and valiant resistance, and with the help of Allah Almighty, Yemen’s air defense units have successfully shot down an American MQ-9 spy drone that violated our airspace and was conducting hostile missions over al-Hudaydah. The drone was targeted using a domestically produced surface-to-air missile,” said Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Houthi military, in a televised address.
This marks the second MQ-9 to be downed by Houthi forces within just 72 hours, and the 17th since the launch of the group’s regional campaign they refer to as the “Battle of the Promised Victory and the Sacred Jihad for Gaza” — a coordinated military-political effort launched in response to Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza.
Just days earlier, another MQ-9 Reaper was reportedly brought down over the central Yemeni governorate of Ma’rib, a key battleground zone and logistical hub in Yemen’s protracted civil war.
The MQ-9 Reaper, manufactured by U.S. defense contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), is a linchpin of American aerial intelligence and strike operations, frequently deployed across the Middle East to ensure the security of critical sea lanes, such as the Red Sea corridor.
Wreckage of MQ-9B Reaper Drone Downed by Houthi Fighters
With a maximum flight endurance of 27 hours and the ability to operate at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, the Reaper is designed for persistent surveillance and precision strike missions across expansive and contested geographies.
Its 1.7-tonne payload capacity allows it to carry a suite of advanced electro-optical and infrared sensors, alongside kinetic munitions such as AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs, and GBU-38 JDAMs — weapons frequently used in targeted killings and battlefield interdiction.
As of 2021, the U.S. Air Force reportedly operates over 300 MQ-9 Reapers, which have been in active service since their introduction in 2007, with plans to retire the platform by 2035 amid the emergence of next-generation drone warfare technologies.
The persistent shoot-downs of Reapers by the Houthis — often using relatively low-cost systems — highlight a growing vulnerability in America’s reliance on unmanned aerial systems in contested airspace.
According to Houthi sources, these drones were intercepted using the Saqr-358, a dual-mode missile reportedly developed by Iran, which has emerged as a formidable anti-drone platform across multiple Middle Eastern conflict theatres.
The Saqr-358 is believed to be in active service not only with the Houthis but also with other Iran-aligned non-state actors including Shi’a militias in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon — making it a shared tool in Tehran’s expanding arsenal of asymmetric air denial systems.
Another wreckage of the MQ-9 Reaper drone shot down by the Houthi.
This hybrid munition functions both as a loitering suicide drone and an anti-aircraft missile, engineered specifically to detect, chase, and destroy high-value aerial assets such as surveillance drones.
Its ability to both loiter and home in on airborne targets grants it a unique edge in asymmetric engagements where speed, stealth, and adaptability are prized over brute force.
While technical details remain classified or difficult to verify, the Saqr-358 is estimated to measure three metres in length, with a missile body diameter of 152mm, and weighs around 50 kilograms.
Powered by a small turbojet engine, the missile boasts an operational range of between 10 to 100 kilometres, enabling it to strike distant targets without the need for complex ground-based radar support.
It carries a 10kg high-fragmentation warhead, designed to maximize damage to drones with sensitive electronic systems, and can be deployed from a variety of mobile platforms — reinforcing its appeal to irregular forces operating in fluid combat environments.
Dual-mode “Saqr 358”
The growing success of the Saqr-358 underscores a transformative shift in air defense paradigms, where cost-effective and mobile anti-drone solutions are redefining the battlefield, levelling the playing field against technologically superior adversaries.
For the United States and its allies, the repeated downing of MQ-9 Reapers serves as a cautionary tale about the evolving lethality of asymmetric warfare — and the rising price of maintaining air superiority in regions rife with proxy conflict, ideological resistance, and foreign-backed technological ingenuity.
Odd how this article fails to report on the reason the drones were deployed in the first place. Or how devastating the bombing of Houthi bases has been . Of course there’s a financial loss in military exercises, if the attacks on shipping and lands ceased, this article would be non existent. Show some real journalism !
Odd how this article fails to report on the reason the drones were deployed in the first place. Or how devastating the bombing of Houthi bases has been . Of course there’s a financial loss in military exercises, if the attacks on shipping and lands ceased, this article would be non existent. Show some real journalism !