Situation in the Red Sea (Houthi Thread)

Pointy Elbows said:
USS Harry Truman CSG looks like it is in the middle of the Red Sea now, approaching Houthi ranges. There's also predictable threats from pro-Houthi types:

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The CSG already went to work on the Houthis.
ENTCOM Conducts Airstrikes Against Iran-Backed Houthi Missile Storage and Command/Control Facilities in Yemen
TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sana'a, Yemen, on Dec. 21 Yemen time. CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden. During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea. The operation involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s.
The strike reflects CENTCOM's ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping.
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It_Is_My_Time said:
Looks like our wonderful military, full of DEI hires, shot down our own fighter jets.

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Sh#t happens, I think Russia lost more planes to their own air defense systems than to ukraine.
Anyway, both crewmembers safely ejected and were recovered by the Navy.
Two U.S. Navy aviators are safe after their two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet was shot down by an American ship by mistake, according to a late Saturday statement from U.S. Central Command.
The Super Hornet, assigned to aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), was flying over the Red Sea when guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) fired upon it, according to the CENTCOM statement. “Both pilots were safely recovered. Initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries,” reads a statement from CENTCOM.
“This incident was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway.”
A Navy official told USNI News the incident occurred around 3 a.m. local time on Sunday or about 7 p.m. East Coast time on Saturday. The Super Hornet was assigned to Carrier Air Wing One, and embarked aboard Truman, an official told USNI News. While the CENTCOM statement didn’t specify the squadron, the only two-seat F/A-18F squadron embarked aboard Truman are the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
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The Truman got into range of longest Houthi weapons. Truman launched attack strikes against presumably Houthi missile command and storage. Upon return the F-18 was either friendly fired or hit by Houthi SAMs. Truman still has the southern half of the Red Sea, the straits, then the Gulf of Aden if she wants to reassert US freedom of navigation. We're at an interesting decision point. First contact has success, with notable loss, but Truman is not decisively engaged. Truman can return north (like the Eisenhower did) - an embarrassment. Or she can continue southward - high risk, especially if Houthis have managed to get better systems from various backers.
 
French carrier strike group spotted in the Suez Canal sailing toward the Red Sea. Their purpose is unknown at the moment: could be reinforcements for the EU operation Aspides, could be an offensive against the Houthis, or they're just on their way to exercise in the Indo-Pacific.
 
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TruckDriver9 said:
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More details about the incident, USS Gettysburg almost shot down a second jet.

"It was a tanker crew [an F/A-18 fitted for in-flight refueling] returning to land on the carrier about 10 miles out," an undisclosed source told Fox. The aircraft was returning from a refueling mission in support of strike fighters operating over Yemen. "[The pilots] recognized the missile was guiding and punched out about 3 seconds before the missile hit the jet," the source said. The pilots safely ejected and were retrieved, though one had minor injuries.
The second jet was also lining up to land and was several miles behind. The second missile narrowly missed it by as little as 100 feet, the source said; the Navy is investigating whether its guidance system had been shut off, and whether it was targeted at the second jet, according to Fox.
The Navy's initial report suggested that a single F/A-18 was involved in the incident, and that it had been "flying off the USS Harry S. Truman." The source told Fox that this was incorrect, and that two jets had been lining up for landing onto the USS Harry S. Truman. The Navy confirmed that the USS Gettysburg - the carrier strike group's cruiser - was responsible for the missile launch.
The friendly-fire incident occurred after a UAV and missile barrage launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels, according to U.S. Central Command - a possible contributing factor in the misidentification of the incoming F/A-18s as an incoming threat.
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maritime-executive.com

Report: USS Gettysburg Nearly Shot Down a Second Friendly Fighter Jet

Early Sunday morning, a U.S. Navy cruiser accidentally shot down a U.S. Navy fighter jet over the Red Sea, forcing the two pilots to eject. The Navy...
maritime-executive.com maritime-executive.com
 
Another round of American strikes against the Houthis.

On Dec. 30 and 31, U.S. Navy ships and aircraft targeted a Houthi command and control facility and advanced conventional weapon (ACW) production and storage facilities that included missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV). These facilities were used in Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
In addition, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft destroyed a Houthi coastal radar site and seven cruise missiles and one-way attack UAVs over the Red Sea.There were no injuries or damage to U.S. personnel or equipment in either incident.
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TruckDriver9 said:
French carrier strike group spotted in the Suez Canal sailing toward the Red Sea. Their purpose is unknown at the moment: could be reinforcements for the EU operation Aspides, could be an offensive against the Houthis, or they're just on their way to exercise in the Indo-Pacific.
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French carrier strike group passed through the Red Sea without taking any actions against the Houthis.
 
I see some early reports stating that Houthis are suspending their operations following the Gaza ceasefire. Not sure how real these reports are.
Meanwhile, the US Navy published a list of air defense munitions spent to intercept Houthi's missiles and drones.


 
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Houthis vow to scale down their operations against commercial shipping, and attack only Israeli-owned/registered ships.
The group's "Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center" issued a statement on Sunday reporting that the group is lifting its yearlong blockade on shipping in the Red Sea, following implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza last week.
(...)
The center said that going forward, it would not attack most categories of ships, including ships bound for Israel; American or British ships; vessels partly owned by Israeli interests; or vessels operated by Israeli interests but owned by other nationalities. The Houthis still plan to attack vessels that are wholly Israeli-owned or are Israeli-flagged, at least until all phases of the ceasefire agreement are implemented. These fully-Israeli vessels are "prohibited from transiting the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean at present," the HOCC said.
In a warning, the group said that it could resume hostilities against commercial shipping if U.S. and UK forces strike Yemen again. If that occurs, the group warned, it could resume its attacks on specifically American and British shipping.
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maritime-executive.com

Yemen's Houthi Rebels Agree to Lift Red Sea Blockade

On Sunday, Yemen's Houthi rebels announced plans to phase down their campaign against shipping in the Red Sea, beginning with a cessation of hos...
maritime-executive.com maritime-executive.com

The industry is sceptical, to say the least. Hapag and Maersk already announced they won't resume their operations in the immediate future. The rest of major players will probably do the same.
 
In what appears to be a gesture of good will, Houthis relesed the crew of "Galaxy Leader".

The 25 crew members of the car carrier Galaxy Leader have been released and transferred to Oman after spending 430 days in Houthi captivity following their November 2023 capture in the Red Sea.
The car carrier, hijacked on November 19, 2023, became an early symbol of the Houthi campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which saw widespread attacks, vessel damage, and loss of life.
The release follows the implementation of a Gaza ceasefire, now in its initial phase, and a recent announcement from the Iranian-backed Houthis indicating a scale-back of attacks on Red Sea shipping. However, the group maintains it will continue targeting vessels with Israeli connections until all ceasefire conditions are met. The decision to free the crew came “at the request of Hamas and through our brothers in the Sultanate of Oman,” according to a statement from Ansar Allah (the Houthis). Hamas representative in Yemen, Moaz Abu Shamala, confirmed the coordination between Yemen and Palestinian factions regarding the release.
Galaxy Leaders’ crew members hail from Bulgaria, Mexico, Romania, Ukraine and the Philippines.
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gcaptain.com

Houthis Release 'Galaxy Leader' Crew After 430 Days in Captivity as Red Sea Tensions Ease

The 25 crew members of the car carrier Galaxy Leader have been released and transferred to Oman after spending 430 days in Houthi captivity following their November 2023 capture in...
gcaptain.com gcaptain.com


 
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1. A Chinese (Hong Kong-flagged) containership "ASL Bauhinia" caught fire and was abandoned in the Red Sea. It was an accident (hazardous cargo) not an attack, the crew was safely evacuated.
The 1,930-TEU vessel, built in 2022, was traveling from Jebel Ali to Aqaba via the Suez Canal when the incident occurred approximately 226 kilometers northwest of Hodeidah, Yemen. Security sources indicate that the fire may have been caused by an explosion involving hazardous cargo.
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gcaptain.com

Containership Abandoned in Red Sea After Fire, Crew Safely Rescued

The Hong Kong-flagged container ship ASL Bauhinia was abandoned in the Red Sea on Tuesday after catching fire, with all crew members safely rescued. The 1,930-TEU vessel, built in 2022,...
gcaptain.com gcaptain.com

2. Six unnamed vessels with US/UK connection, crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait without an incident, after Houthis suspended their operations.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) reports that since the start of the ceasefire on January 19, 2025, six vessels with U.S. or UK association have successfully transited the threat area without incident. The JIMC did not identify the vessels’ names or ship types.
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gcaptain.com

U.S. and UK Ships Transit Red Sea as Ceasefire Holds

Several U.S. and UK-affiliated vessels have successfully transited the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect last week, signaling a potential gradual return of maritime commerce through the region...
gcaptain.com gcaptain.com

3. Truman CSG remains in the northern parts of the Red Sea.
 
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