The U.S. Navy is incorporating lessons learned from Red Sea engagements with Houthi missiles and drones Vice Adm. Brendan McLane, the commander of Naval Surface Forces, said U.S. ships in the Red Sea are sending data about their engagements back to the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, for the experts there to share ideas for how to best tune radars.
Those recommendations and updated tactics are already reflected in pre-deployment training events When Houthi forces ashore in Yemen first started shooting at naval and merchant ships in the Red Sea on Oct. 19, McLane said, those early engagements “were drones and land-attack cruise missiles that were shot at long distance. Some of the more recent engagements are anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles.
Elizabeth Nashold, the deputy commander of Naval Information Forces, also said during the same panel that Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Carney “was ready on Day 1″ when the missiles began flying, due to its training and focus on battlespace awareness.
McLane said the force has what it needs, though he’d like to see industry speed development of energy weapons so the ships can shoot down missiles and drones without expending their expensive Standard Missiles and other munitions.
