4 January 2023 (Lloyd's List) - LESS than 24 hours after a US-led group of 13 nations warned to the Houthis to stop their attacks in the Red Sea or face consequences, an unmanned drone boat launched by the Yemeni militants detonated in the key shipping lane.

No vessels or individuals were harmed in the explosion, according to Vice-Admira Brad Cooper, commander of the US Navy Central Command (Navcent), but the use of one-way unmanned surface vessel marked a concerning development.

“Since November 18th, there have now been 25 attacks against merchant vessels transiting the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” Cooper told reporters in a media briefing.

“The latest was early this morning, when a Houthi one-way attack unmanned surface vessel, or USV, detonated in international shipping lanes. Fortunately, there were no casualties and no ships were hit, but the introduction of a one-way attack USV is of concern.”

The USV came within a “couple of miles” of commercial ships and US Navy ships, according to Cooper.

Coalition forces have shot down 19 drones and missiles, and sunk three small Houthi boats that attacked a commercial vessel since Operation Prosperity Guardian was launched in December, Cooper said, and he was “clear eyed” that the Houthis’ aggression will not abate in the “very-near term.”

The Vice-Admiral said that cooperation with the shipping industry has increased “dramatically” since OPG was launched to ensure safety of navigation in the Red Sea.

“Our industry partners have said back to us that Operation Prosperity Guardian is contributing to their sense of security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” Cooper said.

However, vessel traffic has been declining in the crucial shipping lane, driven mostly by an exodus of containerships. This suggests companies are unwilling to put their seafarers and ships at risk despite the increased naval presence, or do not believe it currently offers sufficient protection from the Houthi threat.

Major carriers including Mediterranean Shipping Company and Hapag-Lloyd have opted to reroute their ships around the Cape of Good Hope since December, and Maersk this week became the latest box titan to join them. 

The Danish liner first suspended operations in the Red Sea on December 15 but outlined plans to resume transits on December 27 following the launch of OPG, only to indefinitely halt them again on Tuesday after one of its ships was attacked twice over the weekend.