The Houthi air force has a single fighter jet — an ancient F-5. The US is very much not afraid of it.

Tom Porter
Updated ·2 min read
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  • The Houthi forces in Yemen have just one jet, an old F-5.

  • The US has launched airstrikes on the Houthis — which an F-5 probably can't do much about.

  • Though poorly equipped, the Houthis have caused chaos by attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have one of the world's strangest fighter jet fleets — a single, aged F-5 fighter jet.

It's unlikely to be much good helping them against the US-led coalition, which carried out air raids last week.

Chris Gordon, who covers the Pentagon for Air & Space Forces Magazine, said a US official told him the jet was "not combat effective," summing up the likely threat the jet poses.

The Houthis, supported by Iran, have conducted a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, prompting retaliation from the US and its allies in the form of airstrikes.

The US does not appear concerned that its planes will encounter much resistance.

The Houthi air force apparently consists of just one F-5 fighter jet it seized from government forces during the recent civil war.

The Yemen analyst Joshua Koontz said the aging plane made a surprise appearance with a flyover at a Houthi parade in Sanaa, Yemen, last September.

By contrast, the US is considered to have the world's most formidable air force.

The Drive reported that the Houthi plane was probably one of a batch of 12 sent to Yemen by the US in the late 1970s to deter Soviet involvement in fighting in Yemen.

F-5s are supersonic fighter planes rolled out by the US military in the 1960s and 1970s that underwent various upgrades.

Because they're durable and relatively cheap, they were provided to some US allies in the 1970s.

They are heavily outclassed by the cutting-edge US F-35 jets, which have been rated as the best fighter aircraft in the world.

They have the world's most powerful engines and a range of sensors and radar jammers to enhance the pilot's situational awareness and conceal their position.

The National Interest reported that an F-5 might still be able to take down an F-35 if it could ambush one — though it's unlikely it'd be able to get close enough.

Read the original article on Business Insider