New video out of the Red Sea appears to show the moment a small boat was apparently able to score a critical hit on a massive cargo ship.
The clip posted by worldwide conflict news tracker Clash Report begins with several armed men looking over the side of the Greek-owned freighter Tutor while a small boat approaches. The men realized the incoming vessel, seemingly an uncrewed kamikaze boat, is heading right for their ship.
The guards, apparently unable to do anything but watch up until that moment, immediately ran for cover.
Footage shows what appears to be the first successful Houthi kamikaze USV strike on Greek-owned cargo ship Tutor while transiting the Red Sea on June 12.
The crew was evacuated by the U.S. Navy.
The ship is sinking. pic.twitter.com/qMBfV00zZp
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 17, 2024
The vessel was hit and soon began to take on water.
According to the United States military, which responded to the sinking ship, Yemeni Houthi rebels were behind the kamikaze attack.
“On June 12, Iranian-backed Houthis struck M/V Tutor, a Liberian flagged, Greek owned and operated bulk cargo carrier, with an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) resulting in severe flooding and damage to the engine room,” a U.S. Central Command update reads. “One civilian mariner remains missing following the attack. The crew abandoned ship and were rescued by USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and partner forces.”
The Tutor was abandoned but appears to still be afloat in a very-diminished capacity.
Will the situation in the Red Sea soon grow worse?
The missing sailor, a Filipino seaman, was later confirmed dead.
Houthi militants’ campaign against the vital Red Sea shipping lane kicked off in November of last year, aided in the violence by Iran. The conflict erupted as the Houthis proclaimed their support for Hamas in the wake of the deadly October 7 attacks in Israel. The Red Sea attacks have often targeted civilian cargo liners and shipping vessels.
“This is pure terrorism,” National Security Spokesman John Kirby said, according to Barron’s. “There’s simply no other word for it. The Houthi claim of supporting Gazans is meritless.”
Kirby would seem to be completely right.
Civil war-torn Liberia, where the Tutor is flagged, and Greece, the nationality of the vessel’s ownership, seemingly have no direct hand in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The answer for the Houthis’ action seems clear. The Tutor, a civilian vessel, made an easy target. With no active defenses or elaborate electronic countermeasures, this ship and others like it are sitting ducks for Houthi attacks.
Not every Houthi attempt to sink ships is a success, however.
A large scale attack from the Houthi rebels in March was countered by United States warships, operating in the region to secure a critical axis in international shipping.
The rise of the Houthi menace in the Red Sea has highlighted a changing battlefield that appears to favor hit-and-run tactics favored by irregular forces.
Kamikaze ships and drones, depending on their size, can be quickly and cheaply manufactured and fielded without the need of putting a trained crew in harm’s way. Weapons of this nature can easily disable a ship, or as seen in the fields of Ukraine can knock out an advanced piece of American-made armor.
As the technology for these weapons becomes more easily accessible, their presence on the battlefield will undoubtedly increase.
