Yemen: A Trump card, once a symbol of U.S. aerial dominance over the past decades, was lost by Washington as a result of its adventurism and involvement in aggression against Yemen. 

The American military had not anticipated losing 13 highly advanced MQ-9 drones to the Yemeni Armed Forces within 13 months.

Since late December of last year, Washington has waged aggression against Yemen in support of the Zionist entity, aiming to deter Yemen from its stance on the plight of the Palestinian people, who are enduring an Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Over the past two decades, Washington has relied on the high-tech MQ-9 drones to bolster its aerial dominance, employing them in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for assassinations around the globe. 

These drones are renowned for their ability to carry out a range of missions, from surveillance and reconnaissance to striking ground targets. They are equipped with laser-guided missiles, advanced radar systems, and the capability to relay data to other aircraft or ground stations.

However, with the Yemeni Armed Forces entering the battle of "The Promised Victory and Sacred Jihad" in support of the Palestinian people facing genocide in Gaza, the MQ-9 drones began falling from the skies over Yemen. India's subsequent cancellation of its deal to purchase these drones from the United States further tarnished their reputation, marking the erosion of American prestige in Yemen's rugged mountains.

In the ongoing series of MQ-9 drone losses in Yemen, September was particularly notable, with Yemeni forces downing four of these drones. This forced the U.S. military to scale down its operations with the MQ-9s in Yemeni airspace, limiting missions to areas under the control of its proxies. Despite these precautions, another MQ-9 was shot down on November 8 over Al-Jawf province, adjacent to occupied territories.

After nearly three months of diminished U.S. activity, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced on the evening of Saturday, December 28, 2024, the downing of the 13th MQ-9 drone.

The drone was conducting hostile operations over Al-Bayda province when it was intercepted with a Yemeni-made surface-to-air missile. Notably, Al-Bayda is an occupied province, making the shoot-down a demonstration of Yemeni forces' ability to defend their airspace even in contested areas.

Analysts view the sequence of downing these advanced and costly American drones as a strategic milestone in Yemen's support for the Palestinian struggle. It parallels the targeting and sinking of ships associated with the U.S.-British-Israeli coalition, forcing their naval assets to retreat from the Red Sea. 

The scale of these achievements is unprecedented: no other region in the world has brought down such a number of MQ-9 drones within a single year, nor has any other force previously fired anti-ship ballistic missiles or launched them against U.S. naval vessels.

The advancement of Yemen's air defenses continues alongside its growing missile and naval capabilities, eroding Western superiority on land, sea, and air. The December 22 downing of an F-18 fighter jet marks the beginning of the decline of U.S. dominance in manned combat aviation.

Since November 8, 2023, when U.S. support for Israel escalated, and preparations for aggression against Yemen intensified, 13 MQ-9 drones have been shot down by Yemeni forces. This count excludes four drones lost by Washington during the broader US-Saudi aggression on Yemen, which began on March 26, 2015.

 

 

With a price tag of $30 million, including control systems and payloads, the drone is designed for multi-role missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strikes. It can operate in harsh weather conditions, achieve a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet, and sustain flights of up to 40 hours.

Yet, in the face of Yemen's evolving air defense capabilities, the MQ-9 drones have proven vulnerable, compelling nations like India to reconsider their reliance on U.S. military technology. Yemen's achievements signal a shift in regional power dynamics and a significant blow to American aerial dominance.

#MQ-9 #US_Saudi_Aggression #GazaGenocide #Israeli Occupation About 2 days