Page 97 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

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This photo: A rare photograph of UAE
AH-64Ds in Aden.
Left: One of at least five Saudi
Apaches lost in the Yemen campaign,
this AH-64D crashed in Jizan province
in September 2015.
Below: Wreckage of Royal Moroccan
Air Force F-16C 08-8008 that crashed
in Sa’ada province on May 10, 2015,
killing the pilot.
ammunition stores and Houthi and Bell 407 attack helicopters 12 shelters, five Mirage 2000-
positions. Despite the use of performed close air support (CAS) 9s, three AT-802s, or Archangels,
precision weapons, the strikes during the breakthroughs toward at least one Chinese-made
were not always accurate. Ma’rib. On August 22 a third Wing Loong UAV and various
According to the Houthis, the Saudi AH-64D was lost, shot down CH-47 and UH-60 helicopters.
coalition also undertook a in Ma’rib province. In May 2016, Assab air base enables the
‘punishment strategy’ against the the UAE requested new stocks UAE to operate on the other
local population in an attempt of air-launched Hellfire missiles, side of the Arabian Peninsula
to exacerbate shortages in food, confirming the extensive combat and facilitates the conduct of
water and power and thereby use of the Apaches and Bells. operations over Yemen.
put pressure on the Houthis. Following Tochka ballistic missile
Lack of adequate sanitation attacks on Ma’rib and al-Safir Costly weapons,
and medical care precipitated a air base in September 2015, the but poor accuracy
humanitarian disaster, with only coalition deployed UAE Pantsir-S1 Over the past decade the RSAF
45% of hospitals now operational. and Patriot PAC-2 SAMs, ten purchased expensive advanced
aircraft: two AH-64Ds were shot By August 2015 the UN claimed AH-64s, plus UH-60s and weapons including fighters
down or crashed in Jizan province that around 2,000 civilians CH-47Ds, to al-Safir. In addition integrated with advanced
close to the Saudi-Yemen border had been killed in air strikes to helicopters, the UAE has also targeting pods, and has been
during Houthi attacks on Saudi since the beginning of Decisive deployed AT-802 light-attack supported by equally modern
territory and a Moroccan F-16C Storm. The Saudi led-coalition aircraft to Yemen. A number of and capable airborne command
was also lost – probably shot was also accused of using Air Tractors were also transferred and control and early warning
down – in Sa’ada province. US-supplied cluster munitions, to help rebuild Yemeni air assets. Despite high-precision
During this second phase of notably CBU-105 bombs. power and pilots began to train weapons, the Yemen campaign
the war, the Saudi-led coalition on the type in October 2015. seems to illustrate Saudi combat
reportedly also targeted civilian Operation inexperience. However, the
infrastructure believed to host Golden Arrow Emirates in Eritrea Saudi operation has shifted
Left: A Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S In July 2015 the coalition launched In September 2015 the UAE the balance of power in Yemen
lands at King Khaled AB, Khamis Operation Golden Arrow, an began to establish military at an acceptable military cost.
Mushayt during Operation Decisive Emirati-led amphibious landing infrastructure in Eritrea, notably The intervention has denied
Storm. The aircraft carries a in the port of Aden, with air in the port of Assab and on the Houthis a military victory
DB-110 pod on the centreline. The support. During the first 36 the runway of the local airport. and prevented establishment
base is home to the RSAF’s 5 Wing,
responsible for 6 and 55 Squadrons hours, the coalition performed Satellite imagery of the base of a Houthi state on Saudi
flying the F-15S. All photos via author 136 air strikes. UAE AH-64D taken last November revealed Arabia’s southern border. AFM
Coalition losses Yemeni Air Force losses
Losses Saudi UAE Morocco Jordan Bahrain Unidentified Total Type Losses
Arabia
Mirage 2000 1 1 MiG-29 1+
F-15 2 2 Su-22 3
F-16 1 1 1 3 F-5 2
AH-64 5 5 Mi-8 2 2
Il-76
UH-60 1 1 2
Unidentified 3 1 4 MiG-21 1
helicopters AB412 1
Camcopter 1 1 UH-1H 1
S-100 Super King Air 1
Other UAVs 4 4 CN235 1

www.airforcesmonthly.com #354 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 97