The Saudi-led coalition announced in the late hours of June 26 that its warplanes had intercepted an armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the Houthis over central Yemen.
“At 22:20 of today’s night, the coalition’s air force managed to intercept and shoot down a UAV in Yemen’s airspace after it was launched by the Houthis from northern Sanaa towards the Kingdom [Saudi Arabia],” a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Col. Turki al-Malki, said in an official statement.
Col. al-Malki went on to say: “The Houthi terrorist criminal instrument continues to launch UAVs to carry out hostile and terrorist acts by targeting civilians and civilian installations. None of its targets has been achieved.”
Last week, Saudi-led coalition warplanes begin intercepting Houthi UAVs over Yemen. At least two UAVs of the Yemeni group were shot down on June 18.
This new strategy appears to be more effective athan the old one, which relayed on air-defense systems only. However, some of the Houthis’ UAVs are still reaching their targets. The new strategy will also have no effect facing the Yemeni group’s ballistic and cruise missiles.
Shows that the Saudi air defense is not doing it’s job well, if they have to establish a combat air patrol to look for small drones. North Yemen will adapt to this. Maybe even lure a fighter down low, and then boom! :)
Who know maybe this is the strategy that thay are attempting
One hopes! :) In any case the whole game just got a lot more tricky for the Saudis.
Good to see the KSA airforce is capable of something besides bombing food supplies and killing civilians.