The air campaign against the Houthis is, for now at least, concluded just ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to several Gulf countries. Agreeing not to fire on American ships, the Houthis secured a reprieve from a concerted American aerial campaign against them. But the Houthis have not forsworn missile attacks against the ships of other countries transiting near Yemen, and the costs of the Pentagon’s campaign have been high.
F-35 Nearly Shot Down?
F-35 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
But they could have been even higher, with an F-35 stealth fighter nearly hit by Houthi air defense assets during the course of the bombing campaign. The New York Times broke the story of the near-loss of an American F-35 in an account of the Trump administration’s campaign against the Houthi rebels.
“In those first 30 days, the Houthis shot down seven American MQ-9 drones (around $30 million each), hampering Central Command’s ability to track and strike the militant group. Several American F-16s and an F-35 fighter jet were nearly struck by Houthi air defenses, making real the possibility of American casualties, multiple US officials said.”
“That possibility became reality when two pilots and a flight deck crew member were injured in the two episodes involving the F/A-18 Super Hornets, which fell into the Red Sea from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman within 10 days of each other.”
Senior figures within the Trump administration were dealing with the political and reputational fallout of Defense Secretary Hegseth, who was going over specific operational details against the Houthis in a Signal chat. Still, American assets at sea and in the air were bludgeoning the rebel group.
“American strikes had hit more than 1,000 targets, including multiple command and control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities and advanced weapons storage locations, the Pentagon reported,” as quoted by The Times. “In addition, more than a dozen senior Houthi leaders had been killed, the military said.”
The Cost in Materiel to Other Theaters
The aerial campaign’s cost was a matter of concern. Two US Navy Carrier Strike Groups, several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, and significant air defense assets had been rushed to US Central Command. However, the cost of America’s long-range precision munitions was a cause for concern. Suppose the United States was serious about pivoting to Asia and staring down Beijing. Why blow through specialized, expensive munitions that might be needed in a war in the Indo-Pacific?
The ongoing war in Ukraine revealed how sensitive some of the supply chains that feed the American defense industrial base are to geopolitical disruptions from events as desperate as COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and trade disagreements with friends and enemies alike. Many of these supply chains remain vulnerable, casting a shadow of doubt over the efficacy of the American air campaign in Yemen.
Also concerning was the fact that the Houthi rebels are still firmly entrenched as of this writing, and the prospects of dislodging them through a renewed aerial offensive appear to be rather dim indeed.
Speaking to TWZ, an American official familiar with the F-35 incident said that the stealth fighter had to dodge incoming Houthi surface-to-air missiles. “They [the Houthi SAMs] got close enough that the [F-35] had to maneuver,” the official said.
However, that official added that they were unfamiliar with the situation involving F-16 jets. “There is no indication that F-16s were targeted or anything got close to them during Operation Rough Rider, where they had to maneuver,” said the anonymous official, but added, “That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
One of the earlier F/A-18 Super Hornet losses came as a result of evasive maneuvers by the USS Truman aircraft carrier, which caused the jet to fall overboard and plunge into the sea.
It is unknown what kind of weaponry the Houthis leveraged against the F-35 or F-16 fighter jets. However, the Houthis have received both aid and training from their Iranian patrons and have a mix of Soviet legacy and derivative anti-air systems. Though not as capable as very long-range strategic air defense assets like Russia’s S-400 anti-air system, the Houthi’s ability to target advanced Western aircraft — including seemingly F-35 stealth fighters, the backbone of American and NATO air power — is remarkable.
F-35: Yes, It Can Be Beaten
While the American operation against the Houthis, dubbed Operation Rough Rider, seems to be either at an end or a temporary lull, how the United States chooses to protect its air assets, particularly the stealthy F-35, remains to be seen. Though the fifth-generation fighter is not perfect, a combat loss against a group that lacks the military prowess of near-peer state actors like China or Russia would be remarkable — and a significant dent in the F-35’s reputation.
Is the F-35 as survivable as its makers believe? And more importantly, could the F-35 survive the rigors of a high-end fight against the United States’ more pressing geopolitical rivals? These questions remain to be answered.
F-35 Fighter Story in Photos
F-35I Adir from Israel. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
F-35 Stealth Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
F-35 image. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
A U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II fighter jet performs during the California International Air Show in Salinas, California, Oct. 29, 2021. The F-35C has a larger wingspan and internal fuel capacity as well as stronger landing gear than the F-35A and F-35B variants. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew D. Sarver)
F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
F-35 JSF from the Netherlands. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
