Houthis Strike Again: $30 Million U.S. Reaper Drone Taken Down, Yemen Reports

 The Yemen-based Houthi Rebels said this weekend they shot down a U.S. MQ-9 reaper drone, according to multiple reports, which would make it the third U.S. drone that’s been downed in six months as concerns of escalation in the Middle East continue.

 The MQ-9 drone—which costs about $30 million, according to the Congressional Research Service—was part of the U.S.’s effort to defend ships in the Red Sea from ongoing Houthi attacks.

The Houthis, a Hamas-aligned rebel group, said they took the drone out with a surface-to-air missile and released footage of the incident, the Associated Press reported, as part of ongoing attacks related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Defense Department spokesperson U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry told Forbes in a statement Sunday “a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen” on Friday, and there were no injuries and there is an investigation underway, but would not confirm it was shot down.

$90 million. That’s about how much the three MQ-9 drones that have been shot down since November have cost the U.S., witheach estimated costing about $30 million.


The Houthis also launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea on Friday, U.S. Central Command said on X, formerly known as Twitter, and one hit the MV Andromeda Star causing minor damage. Central Command said the oil tanker is “continuing its voyage,” though.


The Houthis—heavily funded by Iran—began a campaign against shipping vessels in the Red Sea last November in an effort to support Hamas in its war against Israel in Gaza. Originally, Houthis were targeting only vessels linked to Israel, but it has since expanded its targets to include western allies of Israel, as well. In December, the U.S., U.K. and others began a coalition attempting to protect the trade lanes and avoid supply chain delays and increased oil prices due to attacks on shipping vessels, though the strikes have largely continued. In a statement last month, a Houthi spokesperson said the attacks in the Red Sea “will not stop until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”