A recent report by the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta has exposed the growing toll the United States is suffering during its ongoing military campaign against Yemen. The operation, which targets the Ansar Allah movement (commonly known as the Houthis), appears to be delivering minimal military impact — while racking up enormous financial and strategic costs.
According to the translated report by Arabi21, the Pentagon has admitted that after over a month of strikes, the operation has had a limited effect on Ansar Allah’s combat capabilities. Independent estimates place the cost of the campaign at over $3 billion — and rising.
Another U.S. Fighter Jet Downed
The report highlighted the loss of another U.S. fighter jet during a maneuver in the Red Sea, where the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is stationed. During a sharp emergency maneuver, reportedly to evade a complex attack launched from Yemen, a $60 million F-18 fighter jet was lost at sea.
The U.S. Navy confirmed the incident, stating that the aircraft slid off the carrier deck during a repositioning exercise. One crew member was injured, but there were no fatalities. The Pentagon claimed the naval strike group in the Red Sea “still retains full combat capability.”
Skyrocketing Costs and Military Inefficiency
According to Military Magazine, this is the second time in recent months the U.S. has lost a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier.
The American Conservative revealed that from March 15 to April 15 alone, the U.S. Department of Defense spent approximately $3 billion on the Yemen operation, with $1 billion allocated just for munitions and operational logistics.
The New York Times reported that Pentagon officials privately admitted to U.S. lawmakers that the campaign has achieved minimal success in destroying Ansar Allah’s strategic stockpile — which includes ballistic missiles, armed drones, and mobile launch platforms.
In confidential briefings, senior Pentagon officials voiced serious concern over the alarming rate of ammunition depletion due to the Yemen operation.
An Army Built for the Wrong War?
Military analyst Dan Grazier, speaking to The American Conservative, bluntly criticised the imbalance of force:
“We’ve built a massive army with ultra-sophisticated weapons costing billions — only to see them underperform in low-threat scenarios.”
He continued:
“It’s absurd. We’re launching $2 million missiles to shoot down $1,000 drones. That’s not strategy — it’s waste.”
Grazier argued that the U.S. needs more balanced, conventional forces to avoid disproportionate spending in asymmetrical conflicts.
Ammunition Shortages and Fragile Supply Chains
The article further noted that one of Washington’s looming threats is a severe shortage of munitions — exacerbated by the customs tariff policies implemented under former President Donald Trump.
In an interview with Task & Purpose, former U.S. Navy commander and Hudson Institute fellow Bryan Clark warned:
“Our industrial base can’t keep up with weapons production. The supply chains are highly specialised and fragile.”
Clark warned that in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the U.S. Navy could run out of ammunition within days.
In light of this, Politico confirmed that U.S. defense industry leaders have requested strategic exemptions from new tariff laws to prevent further supply chain disruption.
Houthis Resilient Amid U.S. Pressure
Despite relentless strikes, the Ansar Allah movement remains steadfast. In an official statement, the movement’s political office accused the United States of committing war crimes, including the killing of African migrants in Saada Province.
The statement described the ongoing aggression as:
“A deliberate campaign of civilian targeting that reflects the U.S. military’s ethical and operational collapse.”
According to the Russian report, the Houthis have not only survived — they’ve adapted, forming new regional alliances and maintaining their ability to strike.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently revealed that Somali intelligence discovered direct ties between Ansar Allah and armed jihadist groups in the Horn of Africa.
Ansar Allah also linked their operations in the Red Sea to the Israeli war on Gaza, especially following the resumption of Zionist military aggression against Hamas since March 18.
The group stated clearly:
“Ending the Israeli war on Gaza would bring calm to southern Arabia.”
The Iran Factor
The report concluded that ongoing U.S.–Iran negotiations, despite their complexities, may have a decisive impact on the trajectory of the war in Yemen.
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