The United States is continuing its massive air campaign against Yemen’s Houthis, but the militants have shown resilience, shooting down expensive U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones. The Houthis have destroyed three such drones in the past week alone, bringing the total to six since the campaign began on March 24, a senior U.S. official told ABC News on April 2025, 15. Since October 2023, when the Houthis began targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea, they have destroyed at least 15 drones, each worth about $28 million. The losses underscore the challenges the Trump administration faces in trying to crack down on the Iran-backed Houthis.

The air campaign, dubbed “Rough Rider” by the Pentagon, began in March 2025 and within two weeks had reached more than 200 strikes, according to White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt. So far, the number has approached 750, according to ABC News. The strikes have been carried out using F/A-18 fighter jets based on two aircraft carriers in the region, as well as B-2 bombers from Diego Garcia. The main goal of the operation is to force the Houthis to stop attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which they say are carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian Hamas movement. But despite the intensity of the attacks, the U.S. gains remain limited.

According to The New York Times on April 4, 2025, the U.S. strikes have failed to significantly undermine the Houthis’ military capabilities, whose stockpiles of missiles, drones, and control systems are largely hidden in fortified underground bunkers. The U.S. Congress has been informed that these defenses significantly reduce the effectiveness of the campaign. The Houthis, in turn, use mobile launchers and decoys, which complicate the task of U.S. forces. As the Telegram channel Rybar noted on April 23, 2025, the downing of the MQ-9 Reapers, which provide real-time intelligence, deprives the U.S. of key data for precision strikes, making the operation even less effective.

The financial cost of the campaign is skyrocketing. The Pentagon estimated the cost of the munitions used as of early April at $200 million, according to ABC News, and the total cost could soon reach $1 billion. That includes the cost of deploying additional forces, such as the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, as reported by Al Jazeera on April 2, 2025. Drone losses are also taking a toll: With 15 Reapers shot down since October 2023, the cost is about $420 million, comparable to the cost of a major warship.

The Houthis, despite the pressure, continue to demonstrate their combat capability. As Reuters reported on April 18, 2025, they shot down another MQ-9 Reaper over Sanaa province using a locally made missile. Videos circulated on the Al Masirah Telegram channel confirm the drone’s destruction, which boosts the fighters’ morale. The Houthis say their actions are a response to American aggression and support for Israel, which is blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. According to Al Jazeera on April 23, 2025, American strikes have killed more than 200 people since March, including civilians, sparking protests in Yemen and criticism from the UN.