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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #354 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 97

aircraft: two AH-64Ds were shot
down or crashed in Jizan province
close to the Saudi-Yemen border
during Houthi attacks on Saudi
territory and a Moroccan F-16C
was also lost – probably shot
down – in Sa’ada province.
During this second phase of
the war, the Saudi-led coalition
reportedly also targeted civilian
infrastructure believed to host

ammunition stores and Houthi

positions. Despite the use of

precision weapons, the strikes

were not always accurate.

According to the Houthis, the

coalition also undertook a

‘punishment strategy’ against the

local population in an attempt

to exacerbate shortages in food,

water and power and thereby

put pressure on the Houthis.

Lack of adequate sanitation

and medical care precipitated a

humanitarian disaster, with only

45% of hospitals now operational.

By August 2015 the UN claimed

that around 2,000 civilians

had been killed in air strikes

since the beginning of Decisive

Storm. The Saudi led-coalition

was also accused of using

US-supplied cluster munitions,

notably CBU-105 bombs.

Operation

Golden Arrow

In July 2015 the coalition launched

Operation Golden Arrow, an

Emirati-led amphibious landing

in the port of Aden, with air

support. During the first 36

hours, the coalition performed

136 air strikes. UAE AH-64D

Coalition losses

Losses Saudi

Arabia

UAE Morocco Jordan BahrainUnidentified Total

Mirage 2000 1 1

F-15 2 2

F-16 1 1 1 3

AH-64 5 5

UH-60 1 1 2

Unidentified

helicopters

3 1 4

Camcopter

S-100

1 1

Other UAVs 4 4

Yemeni Air Force losses

Type Losses

MiG-29 1+

Su-22 3

F-5 2

Mi-8 2

Il-76 2

MiG-21 1

AB412 1

UH-1H 1

Super King Air 1

CN235 1

and Bell 407 attack helicopters

performed close air support (CAS)

during the breakthroughs toward

Ma’rib. On August 22 a third

Saudi AH-64D was lost, shot down

in Ma’rib province. In May 2016,

the UAE requested new stocks

of air-launched Hellfire missiles,

confirming the extensive combat

use of the Apaches and Bells.

Following Tochka ballistic missile

attacks on Ma’rib and al-Safir

air base in September 2015, the

coalition deployed UAE Pantsir-S1

and Patriot PAC-2 SAMs, ten

AH-64s, plus UH-60s and

CH-47Ds, to al-Safir. In addition

to helicopters, the UAE has also

deployed AT-802 light-attack

aircraft to Yemen. A number of

Air Tractors were also transferred

to help rebuild Yemeni air

power and pilots began to train

on the type in October 2015.

Emirates in Eritrea

In September 2015 the UAE

began to establish military

infrastructure in Eritrea, notably

in the port of Assab and on

the runway of the local airport.

Satellite imagery of the base

taken last November revealed

12 shelters, five Mirage 2000-

9s, three AT-802s, or Archangels,

at least one Chinese-made

Wing Loong UAV and various

CH-47 and UH-60 helicopters.

Assab air base enables the

UAE to operate on the other

side of the Arabian Peninsula

and facilitates the conduct of

operations over Yemen.

Costly weapons,

but poor accuracy

Over the past decade the RSAF

purchased expensive advanced

weapons including fighters

integrated with advanced

targeting pods, and has been

supported by equally modern

and capable airborne command

and control and early warning

assets. Despite high-precision

weapons, the Yemen campaign

seems to illustrate Saudi combat

inexperience. However, the

Saudi operation has shifted

the balance of power in Yemen

at an acceptable military cost.

The intervention has denied

the Houthis a military victory

and prevented establishment

of a Houthi state on Saudi

Arabia’s southern border.

Left: A Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S
lands at King Khaled AB, Khamis
Mushayt during Operation Decisive
Storm. The aircraft carries a
DB-110 pod on the centreline. The
base is home to the RSAF’s 5 Wing,
responsible for 6 and 55 Squadrons
flying the F-15S. All photos via author

This photo: A rare photograph of UAE
AH-64Ds in Aden.
Left: One of at least five Saudi
Apaches lost in the Yemen campaign,
this AH-64D crashed in Jizan province
in September 2015.
Below: Wreckage of Royal Moroccan
Air Force F-16C 08-8008 that crashed
in Sa’ada province on May 10, 2015,
killing the pilot.

AFM