How Houthi Militia Honed Its Tactics To Rattle the U.S.

"The Iran-backed Houthis perfected the tactics of irregular warfare during years of conflict against a Saudi-led coalition, military officials say.

For years, the scrappy Iran-backed Yemeni rebels known as the Houthis did such a good job of bedeviling American partners in the Middle East that Pentagon war planners started copying some of their tactics.

Noting that the Houthis had managed to weaponize commercial radar systems that are commonly available in boating stores and make them more portable, a senior U.S. commander challenged his Marines to figure out something similar. By September 2022, Marines in the Baltic Sea were adapting Houthi-inspired mobile radar systems.

So senior Pentagon officials knew as soon as the Houthis started attacking ships in the Red Sea that they would be hard to tame.

As the Biden administration approaches its third week of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, the Pentagon is trying to thread an impossibly tiny needle: making a dent in the Houthis' ability to hit commercial and Navy vessels without dragging the United States into a prolonged war.

It is a difficult task, made more so because the Houthis have perfected the tactics of irregular warfare, American military officials say. The group does not have many big weapons depots for American fighter jets to bomb -- Houthi fighters are constantly on the move with missiles they launch from pickup trucks on remote beaches before hustling away.

The first barrage of American-led airstrikes nearly two weeks ago hit nearly 30 locations in Yemen, destroying around 90 percent of the targets struck, Pentagon officials said. But even with that high success rate, the Houthis retained around 75 percent of their ability to fire missiles and drones at ships transiting the Red Sea, those officials acknowledged.

Since then, the Pentagon has carried out seven more rounds of strikes. And the Houthis have continued their attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea.

"There is a level of sophistication here that you can't ignore," said Gen. Joseph L. Votel, who led the U.S. military's Central Command from 2016 to 2019, as Saudi Arabia was trying to defeat the Houthis in Yemen.

So far the Pentagon strategy has been to put armed Reaper drones and other surveillance platforms in the skies over Yemen, so that U.S. warplanes and ships can hit Houthi mobile targets as they pop up.

On Monday night, the United States and Britain struck nine sites in Yemen, hitting multiple targets at each location. Unlike most of the previous strikes, which were more targets of opportunity, the nighttime strikes were planned. They hit radars as well as drone and missile sites and underground weapons storage bunkers.

This middle ground reflects the administration's attempt to chip away at the Houthis' ability to menace merchant ships and military vessels but not hit so hard as to kill large numbers of Houthi fighters and commanders, potentially unleashing even more mayhem into the region.

But officials say they will continue to try to hit mobile targets as analysts search for more fixed targets.

After nearly a decade of Saudi airstrikes, the Houthis are skilled at concealing what they have, putting some of their launchers and weaponry in urban areas and shooting missiles from the backs of vehicles or tractors before scooting off.

And the weapons that are destroyed are soon replaced by Iran, as a never-ending stream of dhows ferry more weaponry into Yemen, U.S. officials say.

Even a seemingly successful American commando operation on Jan. 11 that seized a small boat carrying ballistic-missile and cruise-missile components to Yemen came at a cost: the Pentagon said on Sunday that the status of two Navy SEALs reported missing during the operation had been changed to dead after an "exhaustive" 10-day search. Navy commandos, backed by helicopters and drones hovering overhead, had boarded the small boat and seized propulsion and guidance systems, warheads and other items.

The Houthis are believed to have had underground assembly and manufacturing sites even before the civil war began in Yemen in 2014. The militia seized the country's army arsenal when it took over Sana, the capital, a decade ago. Since then, it has amassed a diverse and increasingly lethal arsenal of cruise and ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones, most supplied by Iran, military analysts said.

"It's mind-blowing, the diversity of their arsenal," said Fabian Hinz, an expert on missiles, drones and the Middle East at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia, has helped as well. Top Houthi commanders studied under Hezbollah trainers in Lebanon on, first and foremost, how to be adaptable, said Hisham Maqdashi, a defense adviser with the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Hezbollah "trained them to be able to adapt to the changes of the war in Yemen," Mr. Maqdashi said in an interview. "They did not train them on the specifics, but on how to be very dynamic."

That leaves the United States and its coalition partners with only three viable options, given the parameters of President Biden's strategic aims in Yemen, military analysts say. They could commandeer the weapons coming by sea from Iran; find the missiles, which requires extensive intelligence; or attack the launch sites.

The third option is the hardest. Houthi militants are believed to hide mobile missile launchers in a range of locations, anywhere from inside culverts to beneath highway overpasses. They are easily moved for hasty launches.

The Houthi mobile maneuvers worked so well against Saudi Arabia that the Marines began an experimental effort to copy them. They developed a mobile radar, essentially a Simrad Halo24 radar -- you can get one for about $3,000 at Bass Pro Shops -- that can be put on any fishing boat. It takes five minutes to set up. The Marines, like the Houthis, have been looking into how to use the radars to send data back on what's going on at sea.

Lt. Gen. Frank Donovan, now the vice commander of United States Special Operations Command, noticed what the Houthis were doing with the radar back when he was leading a Fifth Fleet amphibious task force operating in the southern Red Sea. 

Trying to figure out how the Houthis were targeting ships, General Donovan soon realized the Houthis were mounting off-the-shelf radars on vehicles on the shore and moving them around.

He challenged his Second Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion to develop a similar system." [1]

1. How Houthi Militia Honed Its Tactics To Rattle the U.S.: [Foreign Desk]. Cooper, Helene; Schmitt, Eric.  New York Times

Anyone who discusses a Western war with other nuclear-armed powers must discuss not only the beginning of such a war, but also the end.

 If you don't care about the fate of people on this planet, can you please at least take care of saving cockroaches?

Visi, kas aptarinėja Vakarų karą su kitomis branduoliniu ginklu ginkluotomis jėgomis, privalo aptarti ne tik tokio karo pradžią, bet ir pabaigą.

 Jei žmonių likimas šioje planetoje jums nerūpi, gal malonėkite bent pasirūpinti tarakonų išsaugojimu?

Aplinkos ministras Gentvilas: Lietuvoje vyraujauntys augalininkystės ūkiai yra problema aplinkosaugai

"Protestuojantiems ūkininkams reikalaujant keisti daugiamečių pievų atstatymo tvarką, aplinkos ministras Simonas Gentvilas sako, kad problema – kai šiemet pirmąkart ūkininkai turės atkurti daugiametes pievas savo dirbamuosiuose laukuose – kilo, nes Lietuvoje trūksta gyvulininkystės ūkių.

 „Gyvulininkystė yra sveika gamtai ir jos yra per mažai, labai stipriai nuėjome į augalininkystę. Bet žemės ūkis iš esmės per paramą į tai buvo nuvestas.

Bet tai yra problema aplinkosaugai, bet žemės ūkis dažnai orientuojasi į tai, kur yra pinigai. Dėl to klausimai būtų susiję su paramos žemės ūkiui didinimu“, – trečiadienį žurnalistams Vyriausybėje sakė S. Gentvilas.

Pasak jo, šalyje dominuoja augalininkystė, kas nėra palanku aplinkosaugai.

„Reikia daugiau karvių ir avių laukuose, ne tik rapsų ir grūdų. Lietuva labai stipriai nuėjo į augalininkystę, o gamtai tai nėra sveika.

Karvės, avys ganosi ganyklose, tai leidžia būti ne monokultūroms gamtoje, o daugiametėms pievoms, galų gale, lieka mėšlas, ko mes labai daug naudojame Lietuvos gamtoje“, – teigė jis.”

Universal conscription into the army is not liked by the majority in Lithuania

 

Most people understand that this is an unnecessary waste of the nation's resources. Universal summons is only desired by those who expect to gain even more from it, as in the story with the golden spoons.

 

 

"The State Defense Council agreed to increase the maximum possible number of conscripts per year by 2,000. "In this case, from 4,240 to 7,040. As you know, according to all analyzes and calculations, 7,000 would correspond to the number that could be called up for service according to the universal as a general summons", said Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas.

 

Next year, the number of conscripts could increase to approximately 5 thousand. It would continue to be gradually increased until it reached the set limit. About 3,800 young people are now invited to serve. "In principle, the Council of State Defense approved the movement towards general conscription", said the Chief Advisor to the President, Kęstutis Budrys.

 

However, the surveys do not promise support for the general conscription. 

 

"There have never been such really clear results, such strong results, where polls would show such a categorical opinion," said Professor Dovilė Jakniūnaitė of the Institute of International Relations and Political Sciences.

 

A survey by "Baltijos researches" commissioned by LRT shows that even 7 out of 10 do not agree that universal conscription should be introduced in Lithuania as soon as possible for both men and women.

 

"I'm not sure if the public understands why that mandatory permanent initial military service is needed," Reserve Colonel Gintaras Bagdonas said.

 

  "I dont think so. I think that people should have the freedom to choose anyway", said the woman.

 

True, such results could have been hindered by the issue of women's general conscription, although politicians have no plans for this yet. "In this case, we are talking about conscription and the reform that is foreseen, we are talking about the invitation of men, young people from the age of 18 to perform military service," explained the Minister of National Defense. However, according to Mr. Bagdonas, this should not affect the approach to defense. "It must be absolutely depoliticized here, first of all. It should not matter at all what a person's views, gender and so on. Everyone has to contribute to that defense. Finland is the closest beautiful example to us. The obligation of women to perform military service is Sweden, Norway," said the reserve colonel. At the moment, Lithuania should demonstrate its determination to defend itself as much as possible. On the contrary, such poll results send a favorable message to V. Putin.

 

It is true that conscription reform, even without the inclusion of women, raises a lot of debate. "Implementation will depend on how the conscription reform is approved in the Seimas," said A. Anušauskas. According to it, young people aged 18-21 would be invited to serve, and those studying in higher education institutions would no longer be allowed to postpone their service. In addition, there would be an opportunity to choose to serve for 6 or 9 months.

 

As a result, the opposition does not spare criticism of the reform. And political scientists say that it will not be easy to "sell" such an idea right before the elections. "It is very clear that in 2024, decisions on such topics, where it is obvious that there is no approval of the population, will not be able to be adopted," said D. Jakniūnaitė.

 

  The opposition criticizes A. Anušauskas, saying that it is unclear what kind of money will be used to build the military towns and equip the conscripts with weapons and equipment, because the current resources will not be enough if the number of conscripts is increased. However, the Minister of National Defense explains that there will be no need for large investments in the next decade."

 

Visuotinis šaukimas į kariuomenę Lietuvoje daugumai nepatinka

Dauguma supranta, kad tai yra bereikalingas tautos resursų švaistymas. Visuotinio šaukimo nori tik tie, kurie tikisi iš jo dar labiau pralobti, kaip istorijoje su auksiniais šaukštais.

 

 "Valstybės gynimo taryba sutarė didžiausią galimą šauktinių skaičių per metus didinti 2 tūkstančiais. „Šiuo atveju nuo 4240 iki 7040. Kaip žinia, pagal visas analizes ir skaičiavimą, 7 tūkst. atitiktų tą skaičių, kurį būtų galima pakviesti atlikti tarnybą pagal visuotinį, įvardija tai kaip visuotinį šaukimą“, – kalbėjo krašto apsaugos ministras Arvydas Anušauskas. 

Kitąmet šauktinių skaičius galėtų didėti iki maždaug 5 tūkst. Palaipsniui ir toliau būtų didinamas, kol pasiektų nustatytą ribą. Dabar tarnauti kviečiami apie 3800 jaunuolių. „Iš principo, Valstybės gynimo taryba pritarė judėjimui link visuotinio šaukimo“, – teigė Prezidento vyriausiasis patarėjas Kęstutis Budrys.

Tačiau apklausos pritarimo visuotiniam šaukimui nežada. „Tokių tikrai ryškių rezultatų, tokių tvirtų, kuriose apklausos parodytų tokią kategorišką nuomonę gal ir nėra buvę“, – nurodė Tarptautinių santykių ir politikos mokslų instituto profesorė Dovilė Jakniūnaitė. 

LRT užsakymu atlikta „Baltijos tyrimų“ apklausa rodo, kad net 7 iš 10 nepritaria, jog visuotinis šaukimas Lietuvoje kuo greičiau turėtų būti įvestas tiek vyrams, tiek moterims. 

„Aš nesu tikras, ar visuomenėje yra suprantama, kodėl yra reikalinga ta privalomoji nuolatinė pradinė karo tarnyba“, – teigė atsargos pulkininkas Gintaras Bagdonas.

 „Manau, kad ne. Manau, kad žmonės turėtų laisvę rinktis vis tiek“, – šnekėjo moteris. 

Tiesa, tokiems rezultatams koją pakišti galėjo ir klausimas dėl moterų visuotinio šaukimo, nors politikai dėl to jokių planų kol kas neturi. „Šiuo atveju mes kalbame apie šaukimą ir reformą, kuri yra numatyta, kalba apie vyrų, jaunuolių nuo 18 metų kvietimą atlikti karinę tarnybą“, – aiškino krašto apsaugos ministras. Tačiau G. Bagdono teigimu, požiūriui į gynybą įtakos tai neturėtų daryti. „Čia turi būti absoliučiai depolitizuota, pirmiausia. Turi būti visai nesvarbu, kokios žmogaus pažiūros, lytis ir taip toliau. Kiekvienas turi prisidėti prie tos gynybos. Suomija yra mums artimiausias gražus pavyzdys. Moterų prievole atlikti karinę tarnybą – tai Švedija, tai Norvegija“, – šnekėjo atsargos pulkininkas. Lietuva šiuo metu kaip įmanydama turėtų demonstruoti savo pasiryžimą gintis. O tokie apklausų rezultatai atvirkščiai – siunčia palankią žinutę V. Putinui. 

Tiesa, šaukimo reforma, net ir neįtraukiant moterų, kelia daug diskusijų. „Įgyvendinimas priklausys nuo to, kaip Seime bus patvirtinta šaukimo reforma“, – sakė A. Anušauskas. Pagal ją, tarnauti būtų kviečiami 18-21 metų jaunuoliai, o tarnybos atidėti nebebūtų leidžiama studijuojantiems aukštosiose mokyklose. Be to, atsirastų galimybė rinktis – tarnauti 6 ar 9 mėnesius. 

Dėl to reformai kritikos negaili opozicija. O ir politologai sako, kad „parduoti“ tokią idėją prieš pat rinkimus – nebus paprasta. „Labai aišku, kad 2024 metais tokios temos, kuriose akivaizdu, kad nėra gyventojų pritarimo, sprendimai negalės būti priimti“, – šnekėjo D. Jakniūnaitė.

 Opozicija kritikuoja A. Anušauską, esą neaišku iš kokių pinigų bus statomi kariniai miesteliai, o šauktiniai aprūpinami ginkluote ir ekipuote, mat dabartinių resursų, padidinus šauktinių skaičių, neužteks. Tačiau krašto apsaugos ministras aiškina, kad artimiausią dešimtmetį didelių investicijų dėl to neprireiks."

https://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/lietuva/salies-pulsas/visuotiniam-saukimui-nepritariantys-lietuviai-siuncia-palankia-zinute-v-putinui-1157973