- Most of the Houthi attack drones are intercepted by US and allied warships in the Red Sea.
- Air-to-air combat has become less common, but last month a French helicopter shot down a drone.
- A former U.S. naval aviator said the engagement was not necessarily surprising.
The Houthis pose a number of deadly threats to the Red Sea, many of which have been shot down by U.S. and allied warships operating in the region's dangerous waters.
However, one recent intercept was by a French helicopter crew, which blew a Houthi attack drone out of the sky in an air-to-air battle. Helicopter vs. drone battles are not the norm in this conflict.
Such victories can be more difficult to achieve given the need to attack a moving target from another moving target in the air, but helicopters are a capable asset and , which isn't all that surprising since the crew is probably trained for such a scenario. a former U.S. naval aviator told Business Insider.
Helicopters have “fairly good” protection
On March 20, a French frigate protecting commercial ships in the southern Red Sea as part of the European Union's security mission Operation Aspides detected a Houthi drone.
Helicopters aboard warships were then dispatched to locate and destroy the drones, which were considered a threat. France has not said exactly how the aircraft engaged the drone, but it was effectively eliminated.
“These actions directly contribute to maritime security,” the French Ministry of Defense said in an update on operations around the world.
France also did not say what type of helicopter engaged the Houthi drones, but both French warships in the Red Sea were equipped with NH90 aircraft that can carry air-to-ground missiles and machine guns. Since the drone was flying in the air, the crew likely used a gun to shoot it down.
Since November, when Iranian-backed rebels began a sustained attack on international shipping lanes off the coast of Yemen, nearly all drones and missiles launched by the Houthis have been targeted by U.S. Navy warships and fighter jets, or by Houthi-like targets. shot down by an Allied ship. To Operation Aspides.
Helicopter engagements are rare events, occurring only a few times. But Bryn Tannehill, who flew the SH-60 Seahawk, a multi-role helicopter used by the Navy based on the UH-60 Black Hawk, said France's success was “not particularly surprising.”
“Helicopters can provide a relatively stable platform and are relatively maneuverable,” said Tannehill, currently a U.S. Army Blackhawk aviator and defense analyst. “The biggest drawback against them is that they are slow, so they won't be useful against faster targets.”
While in the Navy after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Tannehill reportedly practiced intercepting small aircraft (aircraft that move at speeds similar to unidirectional attack drones) and boats that could be attacked by bad actors. Told. Theoretically, it could be loaded with explosives.
The goal was essentially to figure out whether the SH-6o could maneuver into position, position its gunner at the door, and eliminate such a threat with its .50 caliber machine gun, she said. Stated. Simulations demonstrated that the helicopter was indeed very effective.
“What they discovered was that helicopters were pretty good at taking down immobile, slow targets that were out the door,” Tannehill said. “And because you're shooting from the side, the debris won't even come back at you.”
These training simulations ultimately became a reality during the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and the United States and its allies.
On December 31, four small Houthi boats attacked a container ship and its crew issued a distress call. Helicopters from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely, American aircraft carriers and destroyers respectfully stationed in the area, answered the call.
When a responding naval helicopter arrived at the scene, the Houthis opened fire on the U.S. military plane, which also returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four Houthi boats, killing all aboard, the U.S. said. Central Command announced. statement at that time. A fourth boat managed to flee the area.
Pilots are 'well trained'
And the US is not the only navy to defeat the Houthi threat in the Red Sea with helicopters. On March 21, the day after the engagement with France, a helicopter was attached to the German frigate “Hesse”. destroyed Houthi water drones identified as a threat to civilian shipping.
A spokesperson for the Bundeswehr's Joint Operations Command told BI that the aircraft involved was a Sealinx equipped with torpedoes and machine guns. It is not clear how exactly the helicopter engaged the surface drone, but it was likely with a gun.
Tannehill said this type of engagement requires a significant amount of training and knowledge of both the aircraft and its weapons systems, as well as coordination with other allied ships operating in the area. He said there is.
“You have to be proficient with the system, you have to be quick, you have to be knowledgeable,” she said. “Pilots have to be good at communicating with other crew members and being ready for shot after shot.”
However, there are limits to how fast the helicopter can move, when the door can open, and when the gunner can fire. Pilots also need to make sure they maintain a safe distance from the drone to prevent it from colliding and exploding, sending debris into the aircraft.
“Pilots are well trained,” Tannehill added, “and this is probably practiced with the task force beforehand to make sure everyone understands what to do when an actual accident occurs.” It also includes permission to fire in time so that shots can be fired before the target poses a real threat to anyone. ”
