US military leaders have warned about the ongoing conflict in the territorial waters of the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden.
During the annual Surface Navy Association conference on Tuesday, the head of Naval Air Forces, Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, stated, “We are facing a real danger posed by prolonged fighting in the Red Sea,” pointing out that the longer the war lasts, the greater the chance of a major catastrophe. He noted that Yemeni forces have become increasingly skilled in combat.
Cheever also mentioned that cooperation and coordination between the surface and aviation communities has drastically increased since the Red Sea battle began, emphasizing that collaboration at speed has become key when preparing a ship or squadron for threats from Yemen.
In addition, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby added, “I want to reiterate that the Red Sea remains a dynamic environment. We will continue to learn from [the Gettysburg shootdown], the incidents every single day. We learn more from our shortcomings than our successes.”
Kilby further explained, “I think the first time we had an engagement in the Red Sea, it took about 40 days” to analyze ship data, he said. “Now it’s 48 hours, plus a few more to get the final checks done. It touches everything in our surface warfare ecosystem.”
