Are more Navy engagements in the Red Sea coming soon?
By Geoff Ziezulewicz
Saturday, Dec 23
U.S. military leaders had hoped to devote fewer resources to the Middle East in favor of countering China’s advancements and helping Ukraine battle Russia.
But that calculus changed on Oct. 7, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas flooded into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds more. The surprise attack sparked a bloody war in the Gaza Strip that has left thousands of Palestinians dead.
Once again, the Middle East is at the forefront for the Pentagon. And once again, a Navy armada is patrolling the waters of U.S. Central Command.
This fall, multiple Navy destroyers have found themselves countering incoming attack drones in the Red Sea, as the ships fight to keep the vital economic sea lane navigable for commercial vessels. In one instance, the warship Carney spent nine hours shooting down a barrage of missiles and air drones fired toward Israel from Iran-backed, rebel-held areas in Yemen over a single day in October.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/12/23/new-in-2024-more-navy-engagements-in-the-red-sea/
