Ukraine and the Houthis Are Revolutionizing Naval Warfare
Navies will have to adapt to an era in which low-cost drones and missiles can take out lumbering carriers and destroyers.
The Moskva, before its promotion to submarine.
Photographer: Vasily Batanov/AFP/Getty Images
There are two significant maritime conflicts underway today. One is in the Red Sea, where Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists are effectively attacking merchant shipping in the dense waterways south of the Suez Canal. The other is in the confined battlespace of the Black Sea, where Ukraine — a country without an operational navy — is inflicting shocking losses on the supposedly formidable Russian Black Sea fleet.
In both cases, there are powerful lessons for the US Navy — which is directly participating in the Red Sea battle, while giving the Ukrainians an indirect assist in the Black. What will the US admirals learn from these conflicts to improve and protect our own seagoing forces?