CNN has revealed the weapons and military equipment used by the United States and the United Kingdom in strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. According to Major Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthi armed forces, 73 airstrikes were conducted targeting the capital Sanaa and the governorates of Hodeida, Taiz, Hajjah, and Sa'ada.
On January 11 at 2:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain, conducted joint strikes on Houthi targets to degrade their capability to continue their illegal activities.
CNN identified the military weapons and equipment used as follows:
**Tomahawk Missiles**
The U.S. Navy's Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) are cruise missiles that fly at low altitudes and can carry a conventional warhead weighing 1,000 pounds for hundreds of miles inland. Tomahawk missiles can be launched from surface ships or submarines, flying at subsonic speeds along "curved" or non-linear paths and capable of overcoming air defense systems, according to a U.S. Navy specification document. The document states that Tomahawk missiles are highly accurate and, as they are GPS-guided, they can change targets or flight paths after launch as needed. It also indicated that the "missile can loiter over the target area to respond to emerging targets or provide damage assessment to battlefield commanders via its onboard camera."
**USS Florida Guided Missile Submarine**
The USS Florida is one of four guided missile submarines powered by nuclear energy in the U.S. Navy fleet. Its relatively large size and power allow it to carry 154 Tomahawk missiles, which is 50% more than the number carried by American guided missile destroyers and nearly four times what newer attack submarines can carry. Florida is powered by a nuclear reactor that produces steam for two turbines driving the submarine's propeller.
**U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyers**
According to the Pentagon, in addition to the Florida, U.S. surface ships also launched Tomahawk missiles against the Houthis. The backbone of the U.S. Navy fleet consists of Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, with 70 currently in service. These destroyers carry Tomahawk missiles with a Vertical Launch System (VLS), with each destroyer containing 90 to 96 VLS cells, depending on when they were built.
**British Typhoon Fighters**
The single-pilot, twin-engine aircraft are a mainstay of the British Air Force. These fighters can fly at speeds up to 1.8 Mach and reach altitudes of 55,000 feet, according to a specification document from the Royal Air Force. The British Ministry of Defense stated, "The four fighters that participated in the attack on Houthi targets carried Paveway IV munitions and bombs with 500-pound warheads."
Four Royal Air Force Typhoons have conducted precision strikes on two Houthi military targets alongside U.S. forces. "The threat to innocent lives and global trade has become so great that this action was not only necessary, it was our duty to protect vessels and freedom of navigation," tweeted Grant Shapps MP on January 12, 2024.
Paveway IV munitions have tail fins that help direct them to their target based on instructions received from laser signals or through GPS coordinates sent to them. The British Typhoon aircraft were supported by the Voyager air-to-air refueling tanker, allowing them to fly longer distances. The British Ministry of Defense did not specify where the aircraft took off from, but video footage shared by Defense Minister Grant Shapps showed that the fighters launched at night from a land-based runway.
