More than six months after the Houthi insurgent group in Yemen started disrupting maritime traffic in the Red Sea, global shipping has had to come to terms with a new normal. Delays, derangements, and higher costs are only getting worse. That is despite the efforts of the US, British, and European navies that have been on station the whole time attempting to counter the Houthi threat. But without much success. That the world’s premier navies appear to be struggling to subdue a band of insurgents raises painful questions. What is the utility of sea power and what is the proficiency of the Western navies?
