- 2 days ago
How Houthi Attack & Sank Cargo Ships?
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00:00The turbulent waters of the Red Sea have become a growing maritime threat, escalating with ruthless precision.
00:06In recent months, commercial vessels have increasingly become prime targets in a sophisticated and violent campaign carryout by Houthis forces.
00:14These attacks are not random acts of piracy, but rather well-coordinated military-style assaults that combine maritime guerrilla tactics with modern drone warfare.
00:22The assaults typically begin under the veil of early dawn or the cover of dusk, times when visibility is low and the crew least expects an ambush.
00:32Small, fast-moving boats, often indistinguishable from local fishing vessels at a distance, approach the target ship at high speed.
00:40Manned by armed Houthis fighters, these boats circle the larger vessel like wolves stalking their prey.
00:45Within moments, they unleash a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades, also called RPGs and small-arms fire, aiming at the bridge, engines, and other critical control points.
00:56While the ship is under attack from the sea, the threat escalates from above.
01:01Bomb-laden drones, controlled remotely from miles away, dive toward the ship in a series of one-way unmanned aerial system strikes.
01:08These unmanned aerial vehicles are loaded with explosives and guided with deadly precision toward key areas of the vessel.
01:15The resulting explosions echo across the sea, disabling communications, igniting fires, and in some cases, blowing holes below the waterline.
01:24Under such relentless assault, the crew often has no choice but to issue distress calls and abandon ship.
01:31In several chilling incidents once the crew flees, whether by lifeboat or by jumping into the sea, Houthis fighters board the crippled vessel.
01:39The ships are sometimes looted, repurposed, or simply left to drift until they sink beneath the waves.
01:46Just a reminder, these modern ships are designed not to sink.
01:50While no ship is truly unsinkable, water-type compartments, created by internal bulkheads, play a crucial role in helping vessels survive damage.
01:59These compartments isolate flooding and limit the spread of water when the hull is breached.
02:03Here's how they work.
02:05These are interior walls within the ship's hull that divide it into separate sections.
02:09Let's take a look at the water-type compartments.
02:12When these bulkheads are sealed water-type, they prevent water from passing freely between compartments if one area of the hull is damaged.
02:19Explosives are typically positioned at key points, mainly around the bow and in sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the ship.
02:26When all of these charges detonate, they can bring down even a modern cargo ship in just a few hours, or even minutes.
02:33Structural failure caused by repeated explosions and missile strikes eventually compromises the ship's integrity.
02:40The vessel sank with bow first, then the stern stood almost 90 degrees as shown in the animation.
02:45For instance, the Greek-operated cargo ship Eternity C was attacked while en route to this canal by Houthis militants based in Yemen.
02:53At least four crew members were killed, and several others were injured.
02:57The attack forced the crew to abandon the vessel, which drifted badly damaged before eventually sinking into the Red Sea.
03:04But why are the Houthis so difficult to defeat and destroy, even with U.S. military air superiority?
03:10The answer lies in their strategic control in the complex geography of Yemen.
03:14The Houthis dominate the northwestern regions, including the capital, Senanam, while the internationally recognized Yemen government holds the southern and eastern areas, with Aden serving as its temporary capital.
03:25The territorial divisions are stark.
03:27The light green areas represent forces aligned with the international government, while the dark green regions are controlled by al-Qaeda-linked groups.
03:35Finally, the brown areas mark Houthis-controlled territory, which crucially includes access to the Red Sea,
03:41a key factor in their resilience and ability to disrupt global trade routes.
03:47One of their most effective strategies is the use of mobile missile and drone launchers.
03:51Instead of relying on fixed launch sites that can be easily targeted,
03:55they mount short-range ballistic missiles and drones on trucks, allowing them to fire and relocate quickly before being detected.
04:02This approach makes preemptive strikes far more difficult and reduces the effectiveness of traditional air campaigns.
04:07Their weapons stockpiles are also scattered across rugged terrain, rather than concentrated in a few locations.
04:15By decentralizing their arsenals, it minimizes the damage of large-scale bombing raids and ensures they always have access to weapons, even after repeated attacks.
04:24But the U.S. has these $12 billion strike groups that are patrolling the seas, so let's take a look at how these work.
04:30A typical carrier strike group might comprise of five to seven of these ships.
04:34At the center sits the aircraft carrier.
04:37These carriers can accommodate a maximum of 130 fighter jets.
04:41Flanking each side are four destroyers.
04:43They could be the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, predominantly used for anti-air warfare.
04:49Leaving the battleship at the front is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser.
04:52These ships are multi-mission, covering air warfare, undersea warfare-launching torpedoes,
04:58naval surface fire support, and surface warfare.
05:00At the back is the frigate-class, generally serving as a light escort with a focus on anti-surface and anti-air roles,
05:07with a lesser degree of capability than larger ships.
05:11Depending on the mission, nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines animated in our recent videos
05:16can also be added to the carrier strike group to seek out and destroy hostile surface ships and submarines.
05:22Now let's take a closer look at how the U.S. attack plans works in Yemen and how the Houthis strike back.
05:27It all starts with monitoring Houthi activities.
05:31U.S. intelligence agencies rely on MQ-9 Reaper drones and satellites to keep a constant watch on rebel movements.
05:37Through surveillance and reconnaissance, they pinpoint key targets, including missile launch sites,
05:42command and control centers, and weapon storage facilities.
05:46Once the targets are identified, military forces begin strategic deployment.
05:50Aircraft carriers and warships move into position, creating a formidable presence in the region.
05:55For example, the USS Carl Vinson joins the USS Harry S. Truman,
06:00strengthening the U.S. naval presence in the Red Sea to deter further aggression and protect vital shipping lanes.
06:06Essentially, an entire strike group is assembled, ready for action.
06:10When the order is finally given, the first wave of attacks begins.
06:14Tomahawk missiles and other precision-guided munitions are launched from naval vessels,
06:18striking key Kuti positions on land.
06:20These attacks target critical infrastructure, including radars, air defenses, and missile and drone systems,
06:27aiming to weaken the Houthi ability to launch further strikes.
06:31These aircraft carriers can launch around 60 to 90 fighter jets.
06:35Once the targets are identified in Yemen, these F-18s are launched from the aircraft carrier.
06:41Before launch, the GPS navigation system is initially transferred from the aircraft,
06:45providing position and velocity vectors from the aircraft systems.
06:48Once released from the aircraft, the JDAM or JDAM ER and Paveway bombs autonomously navigate to the designated target coordinates.
06:58These weapons pack a punch, traveling around 45 miles, approximately 72 kilometers deep inside enemy territory,
07:06with this converted kit, all at a fraction of the cost compared to these cruise missiles.
07:10These are suitable for stationary buckers missile launch sites, like the Mohit missile or the Soviet-era P-15.
07:19Interestingly, these dumb bombs, in its most accurate mode, the JDAM system,
07:23will yield a weapon's circular error probable of 5 meters or less during free flight when GPS data is available.
07:31It uses both GPS and can be laser-guided to the targets, especially effective against mobile assets.
07:36This weapon looks for the reflected energy of the laser and is dropped precisely, destroying the vehicle into pieces when hit.
07:44This is a nuclear submarine that can be positioned very close to the Yemeni shoreline.
07:49The submarine can stay submerged for almost 140 days, waiting for targets many miles away and hit these launching pads.
07:56The reason for using this submarine is to target enemies that become mobile after firing rockets, typically after two hours or more.
08:04This strategy allows the slow-moving cruise missiles to reach its target much faster.
08:09That's why these submarines are stationed very close to the border.
08:13Now let's take a look at how it is fired from inside the submarine.
08:18The submarine will ascend to an assigned depth.
08:20When ready to launch, it will open the hatch, and the protective seal will break open.
08:30High-pressure compressed air is pumped into the tubes, and this is used to eject the Tomahawk missiles.
08:42The missile's tip will emerge above the water's surface.
08:45The rocket boosters fire and propel the missile into its path.
08:52Boosters fall off as soon as the missile is out of the water.
08:55Step number six.
08:56The main engine of the Tomahawk missile will engage, and then it will open its wings, just like the animation shown here.
09:03It is at this stage the missile becomes a cruiser and flies towards the designated target,
09:07and does pack a punch, destroying almost any launcher provided it's stationary.
09:11But the final wave are these F-18 multi-role fighter jets to deliver the precision-guided weapons on smaller targets,
09:18such as the AGM-88, or one of the most commonly used guided bombs, the Joint Direct Attack Munition.
09:25When upgraded, it is referred to as a laser-guided J-DAM.
09:29Breaking it down into smaller pieces, this is essentially a dumb bomb upgraded with a guidance kit,
09:35transforming it into a smart flying munition.
09:37But, this is where the Huti has the upper hand in what is called the Gate of Tears.
09:42Cargo ship must navigate through this narrow canal,
09:46a crucial waterway responsible for managing approximately 11% of global trade.
09:52This canal serves as a crucial choke point for international shipping,
09:56highlighting its pivotal role in international commerce and navigation.
10:00Ships from around the world traverse this strategic route,
10:03but the Huti's militants have exploited this waterway to attack shipping vessels.
10:07Now, let's examine different scenarios of how they execute these attacks.
10:11If a ship is within 80 kilometers or 40 miles from land, which is the desired range,
10:16there is a possibility of the missile they would use to attack ships.
10:20A Soviet-era P-21, the solid booster and liquid fuel anti-ship missile,
10:25produced during the Cold War, is employed for the attacking mission.
10:27When launched, the first stage booster fires off for 2-3 seconds,
10:32after which the second stage takes off.
10:36It searches for a target using analog radar.
10:38When locked and ready, it can destroy a ship using a hollow-shaped charged warhead.
10:43This has the potential to either destroy or sink a cargo ship if it hits at the right angle.
10:50Scenario 2
10:51This involves the use of a Soviet-era missile that was re-engineered by the Iranians,
10:56converting it into an anti-ship missile.
10:59The converted SA-2 missile can be launched from within 45 kilometers or 28 miles from the target.
11:06Take, for example, the U.S. destroyers sailing through the Red Sea.
11:09The Putees forces fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles capable of traveling at a speed of Mach 3.5,
11:18along with two land-attack cruise missiles in the southern Red Sea
11:21over a 10-hour period that commenced at approximately 6.30 in the morning on December 26.
11:27These actions create a psychological impact and disrupt trade routes.
11:31Fortunately, the U.S. destroyer's defense system kicks in and successfully destroys the incoming threats.
11:37As a result, there was no damage to ships in the area and no injuries were reported.
11:42For bigger ships or warships like the aircraft carriers or the U.S. destroyer Berkeley-class,
11:48this is how they would have attacked.
11:50The first stage involves launching multiple drones to overwhelm the warship's defense system.
11:56In the second stage, a couple of Soviet-era anti-ship missiles like the P-15 or P-21 are launched.
12:02These missiles travel at a speed of Mach 0.95 and can pack a punch when hit.
12:09The third stage involves launching converted surface-to-air missiles into an anti-ship missile.
12:15These fly at a speed of around Mach 3.5, capable of seriously damaging a warship.
12:20We make original 4K 3D animation with a small team of animators.
12:27So please support us by subscribing and dropping in a comment for more exclusive engineering animations made just for you guys.
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