Yemeni Air Defenses Shoot Down Eighth U.S. MQ-9 Drone

Yemen’s air defense systems continue to intercept and down American MQ-9 drones, reconnaissance, combat, and multi-role drones known as ‘MQ9’, The latest technology in the world of drones that the U.S. prides itself on.

During the ongoing Saudi-American aggression against Yemen, Yemeni forces had successfully downed two MQ-9 drones, shocking the U.S. military and its regional allies. At the time, Washington dismissed the incidents as flukes, believing such technologically superior aircraft were nearly impervious to enemy fire.

However, since the beginning of the “Promised Victory and Sacred Jihad” campaign, the U.S. has intensified its involvement in the Yemen conflict, aiming to defend its close ally, Israel, under the guise of protecting maritime navigation. Since November 2023, the U.S. has faced fierce resistance and suffered historic defeats, according to Pentagon experts. 

In the ten months since the conflict escalated, the U.S. has incurred significant material losses, the latest of which was the downing of the eighth MQ-9 drone, considered the backbone of American aerial reconnaissance.

A Significant Achievement

Social media users on the platform X (formerly Twitter) reacted strongly to the announcement by Yemen’s armed forces of the latest drone downing. Many described it as proof of the qualitative and continuous improvement of Yemen’s air defenses, with some noting that the American MQ-9 drones have become a laughingstock worldwide.

They emphasized that, by Allah’s divine will and under wise leadership, Yemen has managed to humiliate the U.S. and diminish its regional dominance, a hegemony that has lasted for decades. Omar bin Salah, a presenter on Al-Mahra TV, echoed these sentiments, asking, “Who said Israel is invincible?” He added, “And who said the U.S. is undefeatable? Tell them about the Red Sea and Yemeni soil.”

Prominent Yemeni media activist Mohammed Al-Jarmouzi described the downing of eight advanced American drones within ten months as a monumental event, underscoring that American manufacturers and research centers are studying the vulnerabilities behind each loss to prevent further embarrassments.

Military expert Zakaria Al-Sharabi pointed out that Yemen’s intelligence, material, and technological capabilities have surpassed those of the U.S. in this conflict. He recalled that after the first MQ-9 was shot down during the Promised Victory battle, General Dynamics, the manufacturer, began offering new upgrade programs for the drone, including self-protection sensors in an effort to restore trust in their drones.

He highlighted that Yemen’s armed forces have now shot down 12 MQ-9 drones—four during the earlier stages of the Saudi-American aggression and eight since the start of the Promised Victory and Sacred Jihad campaign. He called Yemen a graveyard for American weapons, adding that the country is now a “trap for MQ-9 drones,” a weapon the U.S. has never lost in such numbers worldwide since its inception.

Widespread Mockery of U.S. Technology

The repeated downing of MQ-9 drones in Yemen has led to widespread mockery of this symbol of American technological superiority. Yemeni journalist Al-Karrar Al-Marani wrote that the MQ-9 drones, once a source of pride for the U.S., have become a target for Yemeni forces during their hostile operations over Marib province.

Al-Marani noted that this is the eighth MQ-9 drone downed since the start of the “al-Aqsa Flood campaign,” but more significant than the material loss is the blow to the drone’s reputation. Initially marketed as nearly impossible to shoot down and offering its owners an unparalleled strategic advantage, the MQ-9 has now proven vulnerable. India, for instance, backed out of a deal to purchase 31 MQ-9 drones last November, citing their failure against Yemeni defenses as a key reason.

The journalist also highlighted how these events have caused deep embarrassment for the U.S., exposing the limits of the once-vaunted MQ-9 as a battlefield game-changer. Washington’s hopes of leveraging the drone to shift the balance in its favor have been dashed, as Yemeni forces continue to take them down with relative ease.

Activist Abbas bin Ali commented on the situation, sarcastically stating, “If an American chicken flew through these skies, no one would dare look at it—yet here they are, downing drones in Yemen.”

In a lighthearted tweet, Yemeni journalist Jalaluddin al-Ansi joked about calculating the cost of the eight downed MQ-9 drones in Yemeni riyals. “It came out to 127 billion Yemeni riyals!” he tweeted, laughing that his friend couldn’t even pronounce the sum, quipping, “Now the mercenaries will say, ‘If only they used that money to pay salaries instead of letting the drones crash into the ground!’”

Conclusion

The downing of the eighth U.S. MQ-9 drone is a milestone in Yemen’s ongoing battle with the U.S. and its allies, marking yet another embarrassing defeat for American military technology. As the war in Yemen rages on, this achievement serves as a testament to the resilience and tactical prowess of the Yemeni armed forces, while casting doubt on the future of the MQ-9 drone in modern warfare.