Military Watch: 

Yemeni Ansurullah’s ‘Amazing’ Arsenal is ‘Getting Scary’: Pentagon ‘Shocked’ By Military Capabilities

Middle East , Missile and Space

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

November-17th-2024

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Ansurullah Coalition Forces on Parade

Following over a year of ongoing hostilities between the United States Armed Forces and several of its Western allies with the Yemeni Ansurullah Coalition, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Bill LaPlante has provided new insight into the Pentagon’s latest assessments of its military capabilities. His statement comes at a time when a growing consensus is increasingly being made public that the Yemeni force’s military capabilities far exceed previous estimates, which has allowed it to sustain a conflict and continue to take to the offensive. Ansurullah’s arsenal includes missiles which “can do things that are just amazing," according to LaPlante. "I'm an engineer and a physicist, and I've been around missiles my whole career. What I've seen of what the Houthis [Ansurullah] have done in the last six months is something that — I'm just shocked,” he stated. He reiterated that their arsenal "can do some pretty amazing things," allowing for strikes both against Western ships far into the Red Sea, as well as against targets in Israel. Alongside missiles, Ansuruallh coalition forces have also made effective use of advanced drones, including submersible platforms. 

Ballistic Missiles in Ansurullah Coalition Parade

Further commenting on the capabilities of the Ansurullah Coalition’s arsenal, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Behnam Ben Taleblu observed that their anti ship ballistic missile arsenal was particularly of note, stressing that the zeal of the organisation combined with alleged support from Iran "have proven to be a lethal combination." The Yemeni group has demonstrated a long reach by launching successful strikes on Israel, with a notable example being its attack on September 15 which was reported to have struck a power station in the country. Ansurullah Coalition forces reported that the strike involved “a new hypersonic ballistic missile,” which was able to hit its target. “The enemy’s defence systems failed to intercept and confront [the missile]. It crossed a distance of 2,040km in eleven and a half minutes, and caused a state of fear and panic” in Israel, the statement added. On July 19, coalition forces carried out a successful drone strike in central Tel Aviv, targeting an area near the American consulate and causing several casualties. In response, Israel conducted an air strike on an oil depot in the city of Al Hudaydah, located in western Yemen. In addition to drone and ballistic missile attacks, the Ansarullah Coalition has previously launched cruise missile strikes against Israeli targets.