Looking at the map Rogue posted as well as the satellite view on google maps, the large pink part is all desert and desert mountains. The gold part looks a little better, but the green part looks like the best land.

So while the Houthis may not control all of Yemen, they seem to control the part that is worth controlling.

That is a very good point.

Also, what's the difference with the yellow area?

Time to bring back the concept of the Q-ship. Merchant ships that are quite heavily armed and manned by Navy sailors. The goal is to not only sink and destroy as many pirates as possible but also make them seriously reconsider attacking an vessel.

quote:

Originally posted by saigonsmuggler:
My guess is that these Seahawks used Hellfire missiles to sink the boats. These boats were probably equipped with 12.7mm HMG so that's a 50 cal on 50 cal duel and the helos probably wouldn't win that contest so handily.

Very possible. My first job after I retired from the Navy dealt with modifing the 60S weapons systems.
The MH-60S can carry a combination of up to 8 AGM114 hellfire, 2 GAU-21 50 cals, 2 M240's, laser guided 2.75 in rockets and 1 M197 20mm.

The MH-60R can carry the Hellfire, M240, GAU-21 and the rockets as well.

Former Tomcat RIO, Ward Carroll

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
Also, what's the difference with the yellow area?

It was (kinda still is) a splinter/separatist group, but as of 2022 they've rejoined the government.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
So while the Houthis may not control all of Yemen, they seem to control the part that is worth controlling.

It's true that while they only have ~1/3 of the territory, they hold about half of the cities, including the capital city.

Up until 1990, Yemen was two separate countries. The Houthis currently control most of what was North Yemen, while what was South Yemen is under Yemeni government control.

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
That is a very good point.

Also, what's the difference with the yellow area?

That area is controlled by a third group, the Southern Transitional Council. They want to go back to the pre-1990 North and South Yemens.

The Houthi control one port with a liquid pipeline outlet for a refinery. The natural gas field around the refinery has a pipeline flowing to Balhaf (i.e. LNG port controlled by Yemeni government).

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
You guys remember when the Iranians nearly blew the USS Samuel B. Roberts in two with a mine, and then the Navy sank half of Iran’s navy and two oil platforms? We need some of that “proportional” response today. That’s the difference between having Reagan in the chair vs Biden.

Thats what I'm talking about.

Operation Praying Mantis. It lasted exactly 1 day.

Yemen was the Obama administration poster child for Mid East success, until suddenly it wasn't.

Iranian Warship Target Alborz enters the Red Sea

https://www.reuters.com/world/...a-tasnim-2024-01-01/

Fun fact, Alborz is a sister ship to Sahand, which was blown out of the water during Operation Praying Mantis.

The money being spent on shooting down missiles and drones is obscene. As one has said it's time to go after the archers and not the arrows.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
The money being spent on shooting down missiles and drones is obscene. As one has said it's time to go after the archers and not the arrows.

And the one(s) giving the orders to the archers. Just sayin'....

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
And the Houthis control the state of Yemen.

Not quite. They claim to do so, but only one country (Iran) recognizes their claims, and they hold only the western third of the country. To the rest of the world, they're a rebel group against the legitimate internationally-recognized Yemeni government. On the current map shown below, green areas are Houthi rebel territory, while red and yellow areas are controlled by the recognized Yemeni government:

One problem though is that the green areas are the most densely populated portions of Yemen.

Looks like it was a MH-60R from HSM-74 using 4 AGM- 114 Hellfires that sank the 3 boats.

https://youtu.be/rJNDPSGOqe0?si=dGxJHLViDOSH90ZB

quote:

Originally posted by navyshooter:
Looks like it was a MH-60R from HSM-74 using 4 AGM- 114 Hellfires that sank the 3 boats.

https://youtu.be/rJNDPSGOqe0?si=dGxJHLViDOSH90ZB

From the video, it looks like the -60S has the tail wheel all the way back like Army Blackhawks. The R model has two tail wheels closer to the cabin.

I assume the R has flexibility to land on smaller ships. Are there other "benefits" to the twin wheels closer to the cabin?

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:

quote:

Originally posted by navyshooter:
Looks like it was a MH-60R from HSM-74 using 4 AGM- 114 Hellfires that sank the 3 boats.

https://youtu.be/rJNDPSGOqe0?si=dGxJHLViDOSH90ZB

From the video, it looks like the -60S has the tail wheel all the way back like Army Blackhawks. The R model has two tail wheels closer to the cabin.

I assume the R has flexibility to land on smaller ships. Are there other "benefits" to the twin wheels closer to the cabin?

In my un-educated understanding, the closer rear-wheel found on the -R, and its older brothers the -B and -F, not only allowed for a smaller footprint on cruisers/destroyers but, also better managed shock absorption to the airframe when winched aboard a pitching ship using the RAST system (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)

Final warning:

WASHINGTON—The U.S., Britain and key allies issued what officials described as a final warning to the Houthi Yemeni rebel group Wednesday to cease its attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea or bear the consequences.

“Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing,” says the statement issued by more than a dozen nations. “The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”

The U.S. military has prepared options to strike the Iran-backed rebel group, U.S. officials say.

“I would not anticipate another warning,” the administration official said.

The list of signatories included the U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.

The USS Eisenhower aircraft-carrier battle group is in the region along with other American naval assets, British ships and ships from other nations.

quote:

Originally posted by FishOn:
We need to bomb the shit out of all of the bases in Yemen. 48 hours of non-stop bombing ala Baghdad in the first Gulf War. We know exactly where they are.

It's takes more than a few days to get a coalition together, assets in place, and a plan for who's striking what (both on land and sea).

I'm getting my popcorn ready.