As the Houthi uncrewed surface vessel (USV) steadily approached the Liberian-flagged container ship Pumba in the Red Sea, its security crew fired about two dozen shots in about 14 seconds from their Steyr rifles. Video emerging from that encounter showed after the last of those shots, the USV exploded. The scenario, which took place July 20 in the Red Sea, offers a textbook example of how to defeat these threats, a maritime security expert told us.
“They are well-trained and followed the correct [standard operating procedures] SOPs, the expert told The War Zone. “They were a correctly equipped and armed security team.”
The USV blew up about 30 meters (about 99 feet) off the port side quarter, causing no damage, according to a timeline shared by the expert, who had first-hand knowledge of the attack. However, the “SOPs don’t really cover the distance aspect as you have to take into account the different weapons systems. Warning shots and escalation to lethal shots are important.”
The 138-second video posted on Twitter opens with the security team spotting the Iranian-backed rebel group’s USV several hundred yards off the port side quarter. As it got closer, that team, comprised of men from India, cocked their rifles and then opened fire before the USV got too close. While it appears that one of the shots caused the USV to explode, it is also possible that it was command-detonated or even exploded by accident.
The reaction of the Pumba’s security team stands in stark contrast to how the one aboard the M/V Tutor to an approaching Houthi USV. That incident marked the first time one of the Houthi USVs successfully attacked a vessel during the Yemen-based rebel group’s current campaign launched in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
In a video that emerged at the time, one of the embarked security team members is seen looking at the USV through binoculars while two of them held their Hecker and Koch G3 rifles pointing inexplicably straight up instead of at the approaching threat. The three watched as it steadily came closer for about 30 seconds. The video cut away before the USV impacted. The video did not show the resulting explosion but instead cut to the security personnel racing to the bridge and the panicked crew inside trying to figure out what to do next.
The USV that exploded before it could damage the Pumba was just part of a long and complex attack on the container ship, according to the timeline provided to us. It began about 64 nautical miles northwest of Al Mukha, Yemen shortly before 7 a.m. local time.
An aerial drone exploded between five and 10 meters (about 16.5 to 33 feet) off the starboard side, causing minor damage to containers on deck and starting a small fire that the crew was able to control. An unnamed coalition warship responded and assisted.
About 90 minutes later, the Pumba was approached by three skiffs, two of which were crewed and one uncrewed. This is the incident seen in the video.
What isn’t seen is that a Houthi missile exploded five meters off the starboard side, causing no damage. There were also two UAVs sighted close to the vessel.
Shortly after 8 a.m., a second Houthi missile was launched but exploded before reaching the Pumba. The crew could hear an explosion but were unable to determine exactly how far it was because of poor visibility. They estimated it landed about 30 to 50 meters (about 99 to 164 feet) away.
About three hours later, the Company Security Officer reported that one missile hit the water approximately 100 meters (about 330 feet) from the Pumba’s starboard side. That’s when the crew discovered a hole about six meters (about 20 feet) above the waterline in Pumba’s stern, resulting from one of the multiple attacks but unclear which one. It didn’t cause any issues with the ship’s stability or pollution concerns. There were no injuries and only minor damage. The Pumba then returned to its next port of call.
Source: TWZ