The first major naval combat engagement of Operation Prosperity Guardian, in which U.S. forces sank three Houthi vessels and halted a boarding attempt on a commercial ship.
Key Facts
- Date of initial attack
- 30 December 2023
- Vessel attacked
- Maersk Hangzhou (commercial container ship)
- Houthi vessels sunk
- 3
- Houthi fighters killed
- 10
- U.S. Navy ships responding
- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), USS Gravely (DDG-107)
- Maersk shipping response
- Halted Red Sea transits on 2 January 2024
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Houthi forces operating in the Gulf of Aden had been targeting commercial shipping in the region. On 30 December 2023, they attacked the container vessel Maersk Hangzhou, and the following morning launched a second assault with an apparent boarding attempt, prompting a distress call.
U.S. Navy forces from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and destroyer USS Gravely responded to the Maersk Hangzhou's distress signal. Together with Maersk security personnel aboard the vessel, they repelled the boarding attempt. In the engagement, U.S. forces sank three Houthi small boats and killed ten Houthi fighters.
Following the attack, Maersk initially imposed a 48-hour pause on Red Sea shipping and subsequently announced a full halt of transits through the waterway on 2 January 2024, citing continued Houthi threats. The engagement marked an early direct military confrontation under Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent