Houthi 'shoots down' US $30 million UAV, recovers missile wreckage

Iranian media reports that Houthi forces in Yemen shot down a US MQ-9 UAV and posted photos of missile wreckage carried by the aircraft.

Press TV, Iran's state television's English-language news channel, reported today that the Houthi armed group in Yemen shot down a US MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Marib province.

Defense Line, an independent news site in Yemen, stated the incident occurred on the evening of 17/5. Houthi is an Iran-backed force.

A video posted by Press TV shows a fire on the ground, apparently the crash site of the aircraft. The channel also posted images of wreckage believed to be from an AGM-114R9X missile that the MQ-9 UAV was carrying at the time it was shot down.

The fire appears to be the scene where the US MQ-9 UAV was shot down in a video posted on 18/5. Video: *Press TV*

Houthi forces and the US military have not yet issued a comment.

The AGM-114R9X is a variant of the laser-guided air-to-ground missile AGM-114 Hellfire. This version is nicknamed the "ninja bomb", as it is equipped with blades instead of a traditional high-explosive warhead. These blades deploy before impact with the target, severing everything in their path.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a military UAV manufactured by US corporation General Atomics for its air force. It can fly at an altitude of over 15,000 meters and operate continuously for 24 hours. It performs intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions. The US Congressional Research Service reports that each MQ-9 has an estimated factory price of 30 million USD.

A missile launcher, still intact, believed to be from the downed MQ-9 UAV in a photo posted on 18/5. Photo: *Press TV*

According to US military magazine *Air & Space Forces*, the US Air Force will have 182 MQ-9 UAVs remaining at the end of fiscal year 2025, with 24 aircraft operated by the Air National Guard.

"However, in the past 18 months, many aircraft were shot down by air defenses, and UAV attacks also damaged some Reapers on the ground", the magazine stated, apparently referring to losses in conflicts with Iran. "Houthi forces in Yemen have also destroyed at least 12 MQ-9s in previous operations".

David Tabor, US Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, stated on 12/5 that the force has approximately 135 MQ-9 aircraft remaining. He affirmed that it can still fulfill all operational requirements set for the Reaper fleet.

*Air & Space Forces* noted that the MQ-9 has a relatively slow speed and has proven vulnerable to Iranian air defenses. CBS observed that the MQ-9 is easily shot down because it was designed for counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency missions against adversaries with rudimentary equipment, not to confront nations possessing modern air defense capabilities.