A few seconds before impact
US destroyer uses last-ditch defense against Houthi missile
February 2, 2024, 8:28 p.m
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
A US Navy warship uses a special defense system to defend itself against a Houthis missile. This is only used at close range and shoots 4,500 bullets per minute.
The US Navy used its last line of defense for the first time this week during its operation in the Red Sea to shoot down a Houthi missile. The Phalanx close-in defense combat system was deployed on Tuesday from the destroyer USS Gravely, reports the US news channel CNN.
“Phalanx” was therefore used against a Houthis cruise missile that was only one and a half kilometers away from the warship – and was therefore only a few seconds away from a potential impact. The automated “Phalanx” system features Gatling guns that fire up to 4,500 20-millimeter projectiles per minute and can engage targets at extremely close range.
U.S. warships have repelled dozens of previous Houthi missile attacks using longer-range defense missiles. Standard SM-2, Standard SM-6 and Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles are likely to be used, the news channel reports, citing analysts. These defense missiles attack their targets with a range of about twelve kilometers or more. For unknown reasons, these missiles were not used on Tuesday.
Analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, told CNN that the Houthi missile, which was traveling at about 600 mph (965 km/h), was probably about four seconds from hitting the US warship when it was destroyed by a volley from the “Phalanx” system that probably lasted two to three seconds. However, there is always the risk that there will be damage from debris from the rocket, which can sometimes fly up to 500 meters.
According to the manufacturer, the US defense company Raytheon, the “Phalanx” system used on the US destroyer has been used by the US Navy for decades. It is also used by 24 other nations allied with the USA.
In recent months, the Houthis in Yemen have attacked numerous ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that they accuse of having ties to Israel. The USA and Great Britain responded with air strikes on the group’s positions in Yemen.