드론 14기를 격추한 USS 카니, 드론 격추를 기록한 HMS 다이아몬드

[위종민]

12월 16일 영국 해군의 45형 구축함 HMS 다이아몬드가 상선을 노리던 드론 1기를 시 바이퍼 미사일로 격추했고, 미해군의 알레이버크급 구축함 USS 카니가 드론 14기의 순차적 공격을 모두 격퇴했다고 합니다. 드론이 상호 연계돼 복합적으로 공격을 실시하는 군집드론 공격이 아니라 단순한 제파식 공격이었다고 하네요.

HMS 다이아몬드의 교전은 1차 걸프전 이후 최초의 함대공 교전이었네요. 

머스크와 하팍 로이드가 홍해 운항을 중지했고, CMA CGM 역시 홍해 운항을 중지한다고 발표했습니다. 

후티 반군들은 화물선 공격에 대함탄도탄을 쏘는 게 아니라 1) 화물선을 위협해 정선시키고 2) 정지한 화물선의 고정좌표에다 대고 탄도탄을 쏘는데, 배가 정선을 해도 해상에서 표류하기 때문에 명중률이 영 별로라고 하네요. 

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/12/several-new-major-incidents-in-the-red-sea/

Several New Major Incidents in the Red Sea - Naval News

Photo of HMS Diamond firing it's Sea Viper missile to engage and shoot down an aerial drone over the Red Sea today (16/12/2023). UK MOD © Crown copyright 2023

Several New Major Incidents In The Red Sea

Several new major developments occurred today and yesterday in the Red Sea. A Royal Navy destroyer engaged a drone, a US Navy destroyer intercepted a swarm of 14 UAV while yesterday, a container ship was hit by a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis in Yemen.

Xavier Vavasseur  16 Dec 2023

This story was updated with important details regarding the “wave of drones” attack and the ballistic missile attack. See the bottom of the page.

Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer Intercepts Drone

Royal Navy Daring-class (Type 45) destroyer HMS Diamond (D34) successfully engaged and shot down an aerial system suspected to have been a one way attack drone, that appears to have originated from Houthi controlled territory in Yemen.

British defence minister Grant Shapps said on X:

“Overnight, HMS Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone which was targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea. One Sea Viper missile was fired and successfully destroyed the target.

The ship recently arrived in the region to bolster international efforts to maintain maritime security. The recent spate of illegal attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security in the Red Sea. The UK remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade.”

The Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord said on the same social media:

This marked the first Anti-Air engagement of a Royal Navy vessel since the first Gulf War.

Naval News reported two days ago that the UK was sending a Royal Navy (RN) Type 45 destroyer to support the multinational naval presence protecting merchant shipping in the southern Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. The information was revealed by the UK’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Sir Tony Radakin on 13 December.

US Navy Destroyer Fends Off Swarm of 14 Drones

US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) intercepted a swarm of 14 UAVs launched from Yemen. The same destroyer previously intercepted 22 targets over the past two weeks.

CENTCOM statement issued today reads:

In the early morning hours of December 16 (Sanna time) the US Arliegh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS CARNEY (DDG 64), operating in the Red Sea, successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The UAS were assessed to be one-way attack drones and were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries. Regional Red Sea partners were alerted to the threat.

Houthis hits container ship with ballistic missile

U.S. Central Command announced yesterday that a container ship was hit by Houthi ballistic missile.

CENTCOM statement issued Dec. 15 reads:

Then, at approximately 1300, Dec. 15 (Sanaa time), Houthi forces launched two ballistic missiles towards the international shipping lanes in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. One of these missiles struck the Liberian flagged MV PALATIUM 3, which broadcast a mayday call and reported that the vessel was on fire. The USS MASON has responded to that request. The other missile likely missed any ships.

Importance of Red Sea and Bab El Manbeb strait

The situation in the Red Sea and Bab El Mandeb strait is evolving on a day to day basis. Three warships have already been involved in responding to these attacks – the US Navy (USN) DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Carney and USS Mason, and the French Navy Aquitaine-class FREMM frigate FS Languedoc. The area is of strategic importance as about 25,000 commercial vessels (container ships, bulk carriers and tankers) transit the strait, connecting Asia to Europe.

Damien Symon, an OSINT and map expert said on social media X:

Two major shipping companies, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, announced yesterday they were stopping their Red Sea transit following the surge of attacks.

French company CMA CGM announced tonight they are suspending their Red Sea transit as well.

Update

A military source with knowledge of the operational situation in the Red Sea told Naval News on the condition of anonymity:

• The drone wave attack which USS Carney repelled wasn’t a swarm. Houthi attacks are typically salvos of 15 to 20 UAVs over a two hours period. This does not constitute a swarm. In addition, to be considered a swarm, the drones would usually need to communicate with each other (or at least, they would need to attack their target in a coordinated fashion) which is not the case in the Red Sea.
• The ballistic missile attacks do not involve relatively advanced Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBM) such as the Aasif / Khalij Farsi series (an anti-ship version of the Fateh-110) but rather unguided Short Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM). In order to successfully hit large commercial vessels, the Houthis typically proceed following three steps:
  1- They stop the vessel (by threatening it over the radio or by targeting it with missiles or drones)
  2- Once the vessel is stopped or moving at slow speed, they get its coordinates via a spotting UAV
  3- They then launch the SRBM at the vessel using fixed coordinates (as they would against a fixed, land-based target)

However, as a vessel is constantly drifting at sea, this way of targeting ships at sea is usually ineffective.

[백선호]

SM-2 14발 쐈다면 총 90셀이니 한번에 15%를 쓴 셈이네요. 90셀 전부 SM-2로만 채웠다면.

[위종민]

이전 교전을 다 합치면 22기를 떨궜다고 하니 25% 가까이 비어있겠습니다.

[Minowski(김유철)]

슬슬 희망봉으로 우회하는 상선들도 나타나고... 후티반군의 깽판이 이 정도로 끝날건지... 더 나아가 수에즈 막히면 이집트 정권 붕괴로 이어져서 진짜헬이 될것 같은데....