Another US MQ-9 Reaper Drone Shot Down by Houthis – 13th Incident
In total, the United States has incurred losses of US$390 million (RM1.74 billion) following the destruction of 13 high-powered MQ-9 Reaper drones, developed by General Atomics, at the hands of Houthi forces.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The United States Air Force (USAF) has lost another MQ-9 Reaper drone, estimated to be worth US$30 million (RM134 million), after it was shot down by Houthi armed forces in Yemen a few days ago.
This marks the 13th MQ-9 Reaper drone belonging to the USAF that has been successfully downed by Houthi fighters since the outbreak of the conflict between Palestine and Israel on October 7 last year.
In total, the United States has incurred losses of US$390 million (RM1.74 billion) following the destruction of 13 high-powered MQ-9 Reaper drones, developed by General Atomics, at the hands of Houthi forces.
The incident highlights the significant challenges faced by the US military in conducting aerial operations in the Middle East region.
The US military deploys MQ-9 Reaper drones, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GASI), to secure maritime areas off the coast of Yemen for safe passage of commercial vessels.
The advanced American-made drone is capable of flying for 27 continuous hours at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet while carrying payloads exceeding 1.7 tons, including sensitive sensors and electronic systems.
Primarily operated for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the MQ-9 Reaper can also be equipped with Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II, and GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) for offensive operations.
According to data from 2021, the US military – particularly the USAF – reportedly operates over 300 MQ-9 Reaper drones, which were first introduced into service in 2007.
The US military plans to retire the MQ-9 Reaper from service by 2035.
Houthi armed forces released footage of the MQ-9 Reaper being shot down, showing the drone being struck by a missile launched from a Soviet-era 2K12 KUB surface-to-air missile system.
The KUB missile system, developed during the Soviet Union era, remains effective when operated by highly skilled personnel.
The KUB air defense system (NATO classification – SA-6 Gainful) is a Soviet-made air defense platform developed by the GKAT-15 Design Bureau (a branch of Research Institute-17), now known as the Tikhomirov Instrumentation Research Institute.
The self-propelled KUB (2K12) anti-aircraft missile system was designed to protect ground forces, particularly tank divisions, from aerial attacks by enemy aircraft flying at medium and low altitudes.
The KUB system can engage airborne targets traveling at speeds of 420-600 m/s at altitudes between 100-200 meters and 5-7 kilometers, with a range of up to 20 kilometers. The probability of hitting a target with a single missile is no less than 0.7.
In addition to the KUB air defense system, the Houthis are believed to utilize the advanced “Saqr 358” missile produced by Iran, which combines the capabilities of both a loitering munition and an anti-aircraft missile to shoot down US military drones.
The dual-mode Saqr 358 missile functions as both a loitering munition and an anti-aircraft missile, targeting drones operated by Iran’s adversaries in conflict zones across the Middle East.
Developed by Iran, the advanced missile has also been effectively used by Iran-aligned proxy groups in conflict areas such as the Houthis in Yemen, armed groups in Iraq, and more recently by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. — DSA
