The USS Thomas Hudner, a guided missile destroyer assigned to the 6th Fleet, shot down a drone launched out of Yemen, in the Red Sea on Wednesday. The destroyer, currently patrolling in the Red Sea, detected the drone launch and was tracking the unmanned aircraft on a course directly at the ship. 

Who launched the drone remains unclear at this time. However, it is confirmed that the drone was on course to intercept the destroyer while underway. This marks the first time that a US Naval asset has been the direct target of a potential attack. The type of drone is also unknown at this time, and the Navy cannot confirm if it was carrying a weapon or was a drone capable of carrying and or firing a weapon. 

This recent shootdown comes roughly one month after another US destroyer shot down missiles and drones fired out of Yemen as well. 

Wednesday night, the Arleigh Burke-class Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyer USS Carney engaged three cruise missiles and approximately eight drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists operating in Yemen. The missiles were all destroyed, as were the drones. 

This incident also comes after the US lost an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle off the coast of Yemen when it was shot down by the Iranian-back Houthi rebels. No American effort was made to recover the drone after it was shot down. 

[...]the first US Reaper has been lost to hostile action.

A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down in western Yemen on Sunday, officials at U.S. Central Command confirmed to Military Times.

Multiple outlets reported on Sunday that Houthi rebels had claimed they shot down a drone. Images of the wreckage were posted by the rebel faction’s news agency SABA.

Houthi air defense systems brought down the drone in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, SABA claimed.

“We assess that an MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was shot down in western Yemen on Oct. 1, 2017. This incident is under investigation,” said Maj. Earl Brown, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command.

As noted, this marks the second time that American forces have intercepted and shot down missiles and or drones that have been launched out of Yemen. Israel has also shot down missiles out of Yemen when the Houthi rebel group launched a medium-range ballistic missile at an unknown target. Israel used their Arrow anti-ballistic missile defense system to shoot down the missile's re-entry vehicle while still in space. 

This is a developing news story, and updates will be provided if and when they become available.