NORFOLK, Va. — U.S. Central Command said Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched one anti-ship ballistic missile Friday toward the Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Carney as it patrolled the Gulf of Aden, forcing the Carney to shoot down the projectile.
It was the latest skirmish in the ongoing Red Sea crisis to involve U.S. Navy ships and sailors.
For the past four weeks, U.S. naval assets have launched multiple rounds of air strikes upon dozens of targets in Yemen, each strike described by the military as being in self-defense against what was determined to be an imminent threat.
"You look at the average age of those men and women, they're 20 years old. Yet, they're performing at such a high level, day in and day out. We should all be very proud," said retired Navy Captain and former Naval Air Station Oceana Commanding Officer Lou Schager.
Schager, who now serves as Chairman of the Board for the Navy League of the United States, Hampton Roads, told 13 News Now in an interview on Monday that it all comes down to good training.
"In the Navy, we try to think about every possible threat and train to that in what's called the workup. But to execute it flawlessly as they have done in the Red Sea is a tribute to the professionalism of all men and women that's serving. And I expect them to continue because the challenge and the threat isn't going away," he said.
The U.S. Navy is leading Operation Prosperity Guardian.
The 20-nation coalition was formed in December 2023 to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.