U.S. military loses seven reaper drones in intensifying campaign against Houthis

Houthis down U.S. drones amid escalating Red Sea conflict.

The U.S. military has lost seven MQ-9 Reaper drones over Yemen in less than six weeks, a blow that has cost the Pentagon more than $200 million and underscores the growing intensity and cost of its confrontation with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The downings mark the most substantial equipment losses of the campaign, raising new questions about the risks involved in the ongoing conflict.

According to U.S. defence officials, three of the drones were brought down just in the past week, evidence that the Houthis are improving their ability to detect and target the high-flying, unmanned aircraft. The drones were carrying out either surveillance or offensive missions when they were struck and subsequently crashed on land or in the sea, said the officials, who requested anonymity to speak about military operations.

The losses come amid a broader escalation in U.S. military action against the Houthis, following President Donald Trump’s order on 15 March to intensify strikes. The new campaign has seen American forces launch near-daily attacks. Trump vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Houthi attacks on shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden stop.

According to U.S. Central Command, the strikes have already inflicted considerable damage. Spokesman Dave Eastburn said Thursday evening, “These strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, advanced weapons storage locations, and killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders.”

While the cause of the drone losses has not been definitively confirmed, a separate defence official said that hostile fire is the likely reason. However, investigations are still ongoing. The official added that the stepped-up tempo of U.S. operations inherently increases the exposure of its aircraft but affirmed that the U.S. would continue to “take every measure possible to protect troops, equipment and interests in the region.”

The MQ-9 Reapers, built by General Atomics, cost around $30 million each and can cruise at altitudes above 40,000 feet (12,100 metres). Despite their advanced design, they have become increasingly vulnerable in Yemen’s contested airspace. According to one official, the drones were downed on March 31 and on April 3, 9, 13, 18, 19 and 22. Houthi leaders have claimed responsibility in public statements, further highlighting the symbolic and tactical impact of these successes.

Amid these developments, several U.S. lawmakers are voicing concerns over civilian harm resulting from American strikes. Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Tim Kaine of Virginia wrote to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, raising alarms over possible breaches of the U.S. military’s obligations to minimise civilian casualties. They questioned whether the administration is “abandoning the measures necessary to meet its obligations to reducing civilian harm.”

Their letter referred specifically to reports that a U.S. strike on the Ras Isa fuel terminal in Yemen last week may have killed over 70 civilians. “Military leaders agree that ingraining civilian harm mitigation practices within U.S operations leads to better outcomes and that civilian casualties actually undermine the mission that the military has been sent in to do,” the senators wrote.

In addition to targeting U.S. drones, the Houthis have been persistently firing missiles and one-way attack drones at American naval ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. So far, none of these attacks has successfully struck a U.S. vessel.

To sustain the offensive, the Pentagon has deployed a formidable array of air and naval power to the region. U.S. aircraft are currently operating from two Navy aircraft carriers: the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Carl Vinson. The Truman, accompanied by two destroyers and a cruiser, is stationed in the Red Sea, while the Vinson strike group is operating in the Gulf of Aden. Another destroyer from the Truman’s group is positioned in the Mediterranean, and two additional destroyers are patrolling the Red Sea independently.

Secretary Hegseth is now considering a Central Command request to extend the Truman’s deployment even further. If approved, this would keep at least part of its strike group in the region for several more weeks. It is highly unusual for the U.S. to maintain two aircraft carriers in the Middle East simultaneously, as Navy leadership has often resisted such deployments due to strain on ship maintenance cycles and the toll on sailors during extended tours.

The last major carrier commitment occurred in 2024 when the Biden administration ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to stay in the Red Sea to counter what became the most prolonged naval skirmish since World War II.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have justified their ongoing attacks as a protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Since November 2023, they have launched more than 100 strikes on commercial shipping, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors. Their campaign has significantly curtailed maritime traffic in the Red Sea, a critical route through which roughly $1 trillion in global trade passes annually.

As the conflict drags on, the human and financial costs continue to rise, prompting deeper scrutiny in Washington over both strategy and consequences.