Video emerged this week claiming to show Houthi rebels with a captured U.S. Navy underwater drone that they say was nabbed off of Yemen’s coast.
The two-minute, 24-second video was posted Tuesday by Al-Masdar News, an entity that covers conflict in the Middle East.
In the footage, armed men in diving gear celebrate as they haul the 14-foot, 700-pound REMUS 600 drone to shore.
Navy officials would neither confirm nor deny the video’s authenticity.
The Houthi rebels have been waging war against Yemen’s government since 2015, a conflict that has killed thousands and left the already-impoverished country a humanitarian disaster.
The Al-Masdar article states that the rebels found the drone while on patrol last week. It also alleges the drone belonged to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels.
The REMUS 600 was designed by the Navy in collaboration with Kongsberg Maritime, a Norway-based defense company.
It has several commercial and military applications, including emergency response, fishery research, mine countermeasures and reconnaissance, according the company’s website.
Citing an unnamed defense official, U.S. Naval Institute reported this week that the drone was being used for a meteorology study at the time of its capture.
Pentagon public relations pieces about the drone show it was tested for mine detection missions last fall.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
