Page 96 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

FLASHPOINT

Air war in Yemen

Saudi Arabia’s controversial operations against the Houthi rebels in Yemen have involved a coalition
of Gulf and Arab air arms. Arnaud Delalande provides an air power assessment.
T he Ansar Allah rebel
group – also known as
the Houthis – took control
of the Yemeni capital Sana’a in
September 2014. Prime Minister
Mohammed Basindawa resigned
and the Houthis signed a deal
with an alliance of other political
parties to establish a new, unity
government. On March 26, 2015,
in response to an appeal from
President Abdrabbuh Mansour
Hadi, whose government the
rebels had deposed, Saudi
Arabia launched a military aircraft, including F-16E/Fs, from gaining a strategic foothold 27. The crew ejected safely and
intervention in Yemen. This was Mirage 2000s, and at least on the Arabian Peninsula. was rescued by a US Air Force
undertaken by a coalition of one A330 tanker. The other HH-60G operating from Djibouti.
nine Gulf and Arab states and aircraft comprised 15 F/A-18Cs Decisive Storm On April 21, four weeks and
involved air strikes and an aerial from Kuwait, ten Mirage 2000s The first weeks of the campaign more than 2,300 strike sorties
and naval blockade of Yemen. from Qatar, F-16s operated neutralised the Yemeni Air Force, after the beginning of the aerial
The Saudi-led coalition for by Bahrain (15), Egypt, Jordan notably the shelters believed campaign, Decisive Storm
Operation Decisive Storm (six) and Morocco (six), and to house its MiG-29s. Before ended, and Operation Restore
included around 100 Royal Saudi three Sudanese Su-24Ms. Decisive Storm, Yemen had fewer Hope began. The bombing
Air Force (RSAF) aircraft including Saudi Arabia’s main objective than 20 MiG-29s; most were appears to have reduced
F-15S, Tornado IDS and Typhoon was to restore the Hadi stored at al-Dailami air base Houthi movement and resupply
jets supported by A330 tankers government-in-exile to power (alongside Sana’a International by attacking highways and
and Cougar combat search and in Sana’a; this demand was Airport), with a detachment at bridges, driving rebel forces
rescue helicopters. The Typhoon reinforced under United Nations al-Anad. The Fulcrums’ current from the roads and inhibiting
and F-15S were equipped with Security Council Resolution 2216 fate is uncertain. Air defence the redeployment of combat
Damocles and DB-110 targeting adopted three weeks after the systems were also destroyed, elements between urban centres.
and reconnaissance pods beginning of Decisive Storm. including surface-to-air missile The air campaign continued
respectively, and carried various Saudi Arabia had two other (SAM) batteries and associated during Restore Hope with strikes
Paveway and Joint Direct Attack motivations for its intervention. radars around Sana’a and against military bases. Al-Dailami
Munition (JDAM) bombs. RSAF First was the destruction of the al-Dailami, and, most importantly, was targeted again in early May.
support platforms included E-3As threat posed to the Kingdom by tactical and ballistic missile forces. Six fighters (one MiG-29, two
and Saab 2000 Erieye airborne Yemen’s ballistic missiles, which The first coalition loss was F-5s, three Su-22s, all probably
early warning and control aircraft. had fallen into the hands of the an RSAF F-15S that suffered non-airworthy), one Mi-8 and
As the second-largest Houthi alliance. The second technical problems over the two Il-76TDs were destroyed.
contributor the United Arab aim was to prevent the Houthis’ Gulf of Aden on the second Between May and July, the Saudi
Emirates (UAE) provided 30 suspected state-sponsor, Iran, day of the campaign, March led-coalition lost three more

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