Yemen 2016 onwards: an intractable war?

**davidbfpo** · 10-05-2016

Via Twitter three photos of the ship after being hit by a anti-ship missile(allegedly C-802):

**CrowBat** · 10-07-2016

Rumor has it, several members of the Royal Saudi family were on board, and either killed or heavily injured. But then, that family meanwhile has about 100,000 members...

US officials are talking about 'four shoulder-launched rockets, provided by Iran:

The U.S. Navy dispatched three warships near the southern coast of Yemen after four rockets hit and nearly sank a United Arab Emirates auxiliary ship Saturday, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack. There were no reported injuries to the Emerati crew. Al Jazeera reported on video of the attack.

Iran supplied the Houthis with the “shoulder-fired rockets” that nearly destroyed the UAE ship, according to two U.S. officials. It was not immediately clear what type of rocket the rebels may have fired.

The ship was formerly contracted to the U.S., two defense officials confirmed, and at one time an American company owned the vessel.
...

...but photos are clearly showing only one 'entry hole' - with possibility of there being another one, on the port side of the ship.

What's making no sense to me: a radar-guided weapon like C.701 or C.802 would go for either the centre of the ship, or the point with highest RCS, while Swift was hit at the bow.

Another 'problem' is that Swift was made of aluminium, and aluminium is relatively easy to set on fire (burning point at 650°C). So, except for that hole on the staboard side of the bow, most of visible damage was actually caused by fierce fire that burned the entire bridge (and collapsed its flour), and most... well, actually: all of the bow.

**davidbfpo** · 10-07-2016

This WINEP article appeared via Twitter last night; it has a somewhat odd viewpoint IMHO, but is convinced the ship was hit by a SSM:http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/p...-mandab-strait

**Dishonesty** · 10-07-2016

Interestingly Swift lack of explosive hull damage.
C-802 is Chinese copy Exocet-ASM with a very unreliable fuse-Sheffield,Atlantic Conveyor and Stark all unexploded!!!
Really perfect copy.
add RCS Centric seeker-In every angle is different RCS

**OUTLAW 09** · 10-09-2016

Updated analysis of attack on Swift off - still C802 missile via Iran. #Yemen
http://www.hisutton.com/HVS-2%20Swift%20hit.html#
…

**OUTLAW 09** · 10-10-2016

A U.S. destroyer off the coast of #Yemen was targeted with two missiles tonight by the #Iran-backed Houthis.

**CrowBat** · 10-10-2016

Originally Posted by Dishonesty

C-802 is Chinese copy Exocet-ASM...

Minor correction here: it's the C.701 that was a direct copy of the Exocet.

The C.802 is turbojet powered, and has quite a few other enhancements.

The article by H I Sutton posted above is quite good in this regards - and showing too, that the Houthi/Saleh military conglomerate needs no 'Iranian arms supplies' for such stuff.

**Dishonesty** · 10-12-2016

ASM Coutermeasure USS Mason:
2 missiles Standard SM-2
1 missile ESSM
1 Nulka-expandable active RF jammer
ASM probably not shot down

https://news.usni.org/2016/10/11/uss...issiles-attack

Looks like a beautiful place

**Dishonesty** · 10-12-2016

Houthi rebels fired two more cruise missiles at the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG-87) on Wednesday and Pentagon officials are pledging a response.

https://news.usni.org/2016/10/12/pen...ss-mason-yemen

It sound good.But who is in command?
Pentagon? CNO? CinC CENT?
No,it is POTUS.