In a military operation designed as much to reinforce the message of the United States’ military capacity as to carry out its direct mission, on October 16, 2024, the United States launched an air strike on Houthi installations in Yemen. The attack included the use of B-2 bombers flown from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
According to a October 16, 2024 statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin:
Today, U.S. military forces, including U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. U.S. forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region. This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that…
