The US and UK are struggling to establish the size of the Houthi missile stockpile after stopping their surveillance of Yemen eight years ago, military analysts have said.
The allies have paid a high price for failing to maintain intelligence operations in Yemen as they struggle to find targets to strike while the Iranian-backed rebels continue their attacks on shipping.
It was unclear precisely how many weapons the Houthis have been provided with by the Iranians or have built themselves, said Fabian Hinz, a military expert at the IISS think tank.
“The question is, did the Iranians ship only small batches in order to increase their leverage [with the Houthis] or did they build up an arsenal with strategic depth?” Mr Hinz told The National.
“Another question is, how much of their weapons are locally produced?”
A lack of detailed intelligence has made it “near impossible” to determine how badly the Houthis' missile stockpile has been damaged by US-led air strikes, said military analyst Tim Ripley.
But US official reporting has stated it has struck missile launchers before they were fired, suggesting that real-time intelligence gathering has improved.
Challenging reconnaissance over Yemen
After the end of the campaign against Al Qaeda in 2015, the US withdrew much of its surveillance over Yemen, making it unclear how large a stockpile the Iranians provided to the Houthis.
Intelligence gathering has been made more difficult by the size of the country, which is about equal to that of France, and the Houthis' skills at camouflaging their weapons, developed over earlier wars on the peninsula.
“They are trying to find mobile weapon targets in a very large country starting from scratch, and with no boots on the ground, so it's near impossible to judge the extent of damage,” Mr Ripley said.
And having lost two advanced MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance drones over Yemen, the US does not have the benign surveillance environment it had in Afghanistan, “which makes it rather challenging”, he said.
In the 150 allied attacks since the first on January 12, the US and UK have hit 120 missile launchers, more than 10 surface-to-air missiles, 40 storage and support buildings and 15 drone-storage buildings, according to US figures.
“One thing to note is the number of Centcom [US Central Command] announcements about targeting launchers just before launch does indicate both good intelligence and good targeting capability,” Mr Hinz said.
“But the Houthis have become adept at hiding them so you only have a very short time window for striking before launch.”
The RAF Typhoon fighter-bombers and US F-18A Hornets are able to give accurate “battle damage assessment” as they have to fly over their targets before releasing their bombs, the flight of which is video-recorded.
Houthi arsenal
Since starting their Red Sea and Gulf of Aden campaign on November 19, the Houthis have launched at least 57 attacks on naval and commercial shipping.
But the increased number of warships in the Red Sea, bolstered by the arrival in the past few weeks of the EU force of six naval vessels, has also meant that even when the Houthis managed to launch strikes, fewer are getting through.
However, they were still able to hit the British-registered Rubymar bulk carrier last month with anti-ship missiles.
The Rubymar finally sank on Saturday, which could cause serious ecological damage with its cargo of ammonium phosphate sulphate fertiliser. It is also the first ship to be sunk in the campaign.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh acknowledged in a media briefing last week that the Houthis had not been deterred by the Operation Poseidon Archer strikes.
“We never said we’ve wiped off the map all of their capabilities,” Ms Singh said. “We know that the Houthis maintain a large arsenal.
"They are very capable. They have sophisticated weapons and that’s because they continue to get them from Iran.”
Impact on Red Sea shipping
The Houthis' ability to mount just one successful attack gives them a “giant impact on civilian shipping” leading to soaring insurance rates, which was a “the real challenge with this campaign”, Mr Hinz said.
“It’s fair to say that it’s impossible to destroy 100 per cent of their arsenal.”
He said that while the shipping strikes will probably stop when there is a ceasefire in Gaza, the Houthis will be able to boast that they were undefeated by the US and will be able to use the tactic again in the future.
“They can say that, ‘We fought until the very last day and the Americans could not defeat us’,” Mr Hinz said.
“That gives them the narrative leverage that they have this tool established that can be used again and again against Red Sea shipping.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
