F-35 Had To Maneuver To Evade Houthi Surface-To-Air Missile

The fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was forced to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid being hit by a surface-to-air missile launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The War Zone reported on this, citing an anonymous official in the U.S. government.

The incident was recorded during a combat sortie in April 2025 as part of Operation “Rough Rider,” which started on March 15 of this year and involved intensified strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.

The exact date of the incident was not provided. Also unclear is whether the F-35 in question was an Air Force version or one flown by the Navy or Marines. While F-35As from Hill Air Force Base arrived in the Middle East in March, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which is in the region, operates F-35C versions.

It should be noted that during the active use of American aviation and drone forces in the Red Sea, the U.S. lost seven MQ-9 Reaper drones shot down by the Houthis within the first 30 days of the campaign, significantly complicating reconnaissance and target-strike capabilities.

The Houthis also came close to hitting several F-16 aircraft and one F-35, although the exact details of the incidents involving the F-16 remain unconfirmed.

Additionally, during the operation, the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier lost three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets: on May 6, one aircraft failed to stop in time during an attempted landing and fell overboard; however, the crew ejected and survived with minor injuries. A week earlier, another Super Hornet went overboard during an evasive maneuver to avoid Houthi missiles.

The USS Gettysburg (CG-64) missile cruiser, which was part of the carrier strike group led by the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), also shot down one of the lost aircraft.

Despite these losses, U.S. President Donald Trump declared the operation justified and, on May 8, 2025, issued an order to halt Operation Rough Rider, which had cost over $1 billion and included more than 1,100 strikes. These strikes destroyed hundreds of militants and their weapons, but did not achieve air superiority over the Houthis.

It should be noted that, despite the challenges, Pentagon officials emphasize that the campaign forced the Houthi movement to abandon attacks on ships and ensured a “temporary ceasefire,” which the U.S. considers an operational success.

Operation Rough Rider also included the use of U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit stealth bombers to strike Houthi targets.

Militarnyi previously reported that a U.S. fighter jet downed a Houthi drone using a 70mm AGR-20 (APKWS II) laser-guided missile.

According to a U.S. Air Force spokesman, these missiles were first used last year as one of the options to counter Houthi unmanned aerial systems.