Recently, Yemen's Houthi rebels have achieved a major victory, the British-operated 100,000-ton sea tanker Marin Rwanda was hit by multiple Houthi missiles. The attack triggered emergency rescue operations by the United States, India and France, but fortunately, the fire was largely under control and the ship's crew was rescued. However, the tanker had already suffered severe damage and was almost completely depleted of fuel carried, which was a huge loss for the British.
According to some reports, the purpose of the 100,000-ton British oil tanker sailing into the Red Sea is to provide fuel supplies for the armed escort of British and American naval forces in the Red Sea. In fact, similar situations are not uncommon, and the replenishment of the Indian Sea ** team in the Red Sea is also handled by a civilian oil tanker. Considering the open contradictions between the Houthis and the United Kingdom, the United States, and the bombing campaign of the US-British coalition forces in several parts of Yemen, the role of the ship can actually be considered as a member of the US-British naval ** team. Therefore, it is not surprising that it was the target of Houthi missile strikes.
This can also be confirmed by the situation after the missile strike. A U.S. Navy destroyer was nearby immediately after the tanker was hit, which led to the suspicion that the destroyer had come to receive refueling. However, although the American Aegis system did not intercept missiles in the vicinity, this is not surprising, since the Aegis system itself has some vulnerabilities. If the Houthis can continue to strike with such precision, it will deal a major blow to the armed convoys of the United States and Britain. Once the supply fleets of the United States and Britain are frequently attacked, it is bound to seriously affect the efficiency of escort operations. The U.S. and British fleets will have to go to military bases such as Djibouti and Bahrain to dock and replenish, which will not only affect the efficiency of replenishment, but also delay valuable time, which will make the Houthis more comfortable and frequently attack Israeli-related ships.
In this Red Sea war, Houthi attacks have been intercepted by the air defense systems of the United States and Britain, resulting in no substantial results. However, this attack on the Marin Rwanda was a one-time hit, not only inflicting heavy losses on the British, but also demonstrating a certain strength to the Houthis. The Houthis' precision missile strike capabilities are worthy of vigilance in the United States and Britain, and also reveal their security dilemma in the Red Sea.
During the protracted "air and sea war" in the Red Sea between the Houthis and the US-British coalition forces, the Houthis did not cause substantial damage to the previous Houthi attacks on ships "associated with Israel" due to the relatively short range and low power of their missiles, coupled with the interception of the air defense systems of the US and British fleets. However, with this attack that hit a British tanker, the Houthis demonstrated to the world their precision strike capabilities and added new variables to the security situation in the Red Sea region.
Tensions between the Houthis lurking in Yemen and the United States and Britain have become public, and the two sides have carried out numerous military operations against each other. And this operation to hit the oil tanker also shows that the Houthis are becoming more and more bold, daring to directly attack ships that supply British and American naval teams. The fate of the British tanker was not unjust, and its losses not only caused heavy losses to the British, but also made people realize that the Houthis should not be underestimated.
The Houthis' ability to deliver such precise missile strikes has a significant impact on the U.S. and Britain's maritime convoys. Frequent raids on supply convoys will inevitably weaken the effectiveness of escort operations, forcing the U.S. and British fleets to rely on military bases in Djibouti and Bahrain for supplies, which will not only consume time, but also significantly increase the frequency of Houthi strikes against "Israeli-related" ships.
In short, although the Houthis failed to achieve substantial results in the previous Red Sea wars, this precision strike on British tankers showed that their missile attack capabilities posed a great threat to the US and British naval escort fleets. The incident also highlights the security challenges in the Red Sea region and the strength of the Houthis that cannot be ignored. In the future, the United States and Britain need to take effective measures to protect their ships and escort fleets in order to maintain security and stability in the Red Sea region.