Just 200 Meters Away: Houthi Missile Nearly Struck a Navy Aircraft Carrier
What You Need to Know: Earlier this year, a missile launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia came dangerously close to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), missing the carrier by just 200 meters while it was operating in the Red Sea.
-The missile incident, which occurred in June 2023, highlighted the growing capabilities of the Houthis in targeting U.S. naval assets. Although the missile did not hit the carrier, it emphasized the persistent threat and the need for heightened vigilance.
-Similar close calls were reported, including a January incident involving a missile that nearly struck the USS Gravely (DDG-107).
No U.S. Navy aircraft carrier has been sunk in combat since the end of the Second World War, but a new report from the United States Military Academy's Combating Terrorism Center stated that a missile came within just 200 meters of striking the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) earlier this year.
It might not have been enough to sink, or perhaps even cripple the Nimitz-class nuclear-power supercarrier, but it would still have caused considerable damage and likely resulted in a significant loss of life.
Too Close for Comfort for the Navy
Writing for the October issue of CTC Sentinel, Michael Knights – Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow with the Military and Security Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy – highlighted the capabilities of the Iranian-back Houthi militia operating in Yemen.
"The combination of wide-area surveillance, close-in target shadowing, and terminal guidance has allowed the Houthis to achieve some impressive feats of marksmanship, such as an apparent near-miss on a U.S. aircraft carrier," Knights wrote.
The author added, "By some accounts, an ASBM or other missile arrived at a very shallow trajectory, with minimal warning, without a chance for interception, and splashing down around 200 meters from the Eisenhower."
The incident reportedly occurred this past June while CVN-69 was operating in the Red Sea, but the Nimitz-class flattop wasn't the only warship to have seen such a close call this year.
On January 30, 2024, a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile came within a mile of the United States Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107) – just mere seconds from striking the warship. Fortunately, the destroyer's Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) was able to destroy the missile in flight.
It bears repeating that the U.S. Navy must remain vigilant and on top of its game, while the enemy just needs to get lucky.
Houthis Claimed a Kill
It was also in June that Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree repeated the claim that the rebel group had successfully targeted USS Dwight D. Eisenhower – and images went viral on social media that purported to show damage to the carrier (see above). Though many of the posts were meant as satire, state media in Iran reported the strikes as fact.
The U.S. Navy in turn responded with its own social media campaign in July that showed it was business as usual on the carrier – including its now famed "Taco Tuesdays."
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in response to the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza and responded to Houthi missile attacks on Israel as well as commercial shipping in the Red Sea. CVN-69 remained in the region until July when it returned to Naval Station Norfolk.
More Flattops Ready for Action
The U.S. Navy has continued to rotate carriers to the region, and currently USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is on station. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) had also spent much of the summer in the Middle East, before returning to San Diego. The carrier arrived at its home port this week.
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) recently arrived in the North Sea to conduct joint operations with NATO allies and partners. CVN-75 was originally slated to replace CVN-71 in the Middle East to allow the U.S. to maintain two carriers in the region – and could still be sent there if needed. However, in addition to USS Abraham Lincoln, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1), her amphibious ready group, and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are now positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
Image Credit: Image above is of a faked Houthi picture of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier on fire. All others are Creative Commons.