The US Navy is battling ‘the best Iranian technology’ in the Red Sea and changing how it fights to beat it, admiral says

A Defense Intelligence Agency report published earlier this year detailed the extent of Iranian support for the Houthis. Over the past decade, Tehran has provided the rebel group with a “growing arsenal of sophisticated weapons” and training. This assistance has continued during the Red Sea conflict.

“I would say the other lesson learned, which I didn’t mention, is really using what you have differently,” Franchetti said Wednesday. “Using Hellfire against unmanned surface vehicles. Air-to-air. Aviation platforms shooting down UAVs. These are things where we’re really learning.”

In this fight, the Navy has fired well over $1.1 billion worth of munitions fighting the Houthis, a figure that covers hundreds of air-launched weapons and ship-fired missiles that have been used to take out rebel weaponry, both missiles and drones.

The increasing use of unmanned systems, such as aerial strike platforms and naval drones, has been seen in other conflicts, most notably the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine, for instance, has built up a formidable arsenal of domestically produced naval drones and has used these systems to target Russian warships and ports around the Black Sea. Even though Kyiv lacks a proper navy, it has demonstrated it can still cause problems through this asymmetrical style of warfare.

“I think Ukraine has shown us that you can innovate on the battlefield,” Franchetti said. “I want to innovate before the battlefield so we can stay ahead of any adversary any time.”