USS Laboon (DDg-58), USS Gravely (DDG-107), USS Mason (DDg-87) and F/A-18s from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), along with the United Kingdom’s HMS Diamond (D34), shot down a number of Houthi-launched drones and missiles over the Red Sea, U.S. Central Command announced via social media site X Tuesday night.
The ships and aircraft shot down 18 one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles, two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile Tuesday at around 9:15 p.m. local time, CENTCOM said in the release.
The Houthis launched the drones and missiles toward the southern Red Sea, where merchant vessels transit through international shipping lanes, according to the release. It is not clear if a specific ship was targeted, but no injuries or damage to ships were reported.
Central Command marks this as the 26th time the Houthis have launched drones or missiles toward shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
This is the second time in a week that Laboon shot down something launched by the Houthis. On Saturday, the ship’s crew shot down a Houthi drone, USNI News previously reported. It also shot down four Houthi drones on Dec. 23 and helped shoot down Houthi drones and missiles on Dec. 26.
Mason has now shot down a number of drones and missiles. Before Tuesday’s incident, Mason last shot down a drone and a missile on Dec. 28.
Eisenhower aircraft previously shot down drones and missiles on Dec. 26, and on Dec. 31, helicopters from Ike and Gravely returned fire from Houthis operating small boats, killing 10 Houthis, USNI News reported.
The Houthis have said that there will be a response to the deaths. Although Laboon shot down a Houthi drone on Saturday in self-defense, Department of Defense Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder could not say if it was the target.
