(HorizonPost.com) – In February, President Joe Biden delisted the Houthi rebels in the Middle East as a “foreign terrorist organization” to mark the start of the administration’s changed stance on the war in Yemen. However, the group continues to terrorize the region with attacks that include using military drone boats delivering bombs to the extremist’s intended targets. On December 14, the United States Navy tested laser weapons systems in the Gulf of Aden to see if the military could engage a floating target with any degree of success.
The USS Portland test-fired its Laser Weapon System Demonstrator at a target in the Gulf of Aden https://t.co/pGX5shu7mZ
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) December 15, 2021
The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long-standing alliance that became especially close during the tenure of the Trump Administration. However, the Biden Administration announced plans in February to end its support for any Saudi-led offensive operations in the Yemen civil war. Still, officials said the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in the Middle East could use the laser weapon system to take down the Houthi bomb drones near the Red Sea, if necessary.
Yemen’s neighbor Saudi Arabia offered the rebels a cease-fire in March in exchange for opening a major airport in Yemen. The Houthis refused to cooperate. If they continue to use drone tactics in the region, at least US forces will be ready.
Copyright 2021, HorizonPost.com
