Houthi missile flew so close that US warship had to use its last weapon

CNN quoted four US officials as saying that this was the closest a Houthi missile could have come when targeting a US warship. Most Houthi missiles are shot down at greater distances.

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) initially announced that at around 11:30 p.m. on January 30 (local time), the Houthis launched an anti-ship cruise missile from Yemen toward the Red Sea and it was shot down by the USS Gravely, according to Business Insider . No damage or injuries were reported.

The US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are equipped with at least one close-in weapon system (CIWS) as the last line of defense. The CIWS has a radar-guided 20mm autocannon that can fire up to 4,500 rounds per minute and has an effective range of about 3.7 km.

Before CIWS comes into play, weapons like the ship-based SM-2 or SM-3 interceptor missiles come into play. They are launched from vertical launch systems before intercepting and destroying airborne threats.

The incident involving the USS Gravely occurred just hours before U.S. forces attacked and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile that was about to be launched in Yemen and could have “posed an imminent threat” to U.S. aircraft in the region, the U.S. military said on January 31.

In recent weeks, the US has carried out several preemptive strikes targeting Houthi missiles, mostly anti-ship, as they were about to launch, posing a threat to US commercial vessels and warships off the coast of Yemen.

In addition to preemptive strikes, the US and UK have also conducted widespread strikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi sites such as missile launchers, weapons depots, radars and air defense systems, according to Business Insider .