Details of a Yemeni Missile Ambush Targeting US Aircraft in March 2025

The US Air Force and Space Force magazine revealed dramatic details of a dangerous air mission conducted by US forces over Yemen on March 27, 2025, confirming that the pilots of two F-16 fighter jets narrowly escaped death by a mere 15 seconds after being ambushed by a well-executed missile attack.

According to the magazine, the Yemenis launched six surface-to-air missiles at the two aircraft as they were withdrawing towards the Red Sea. This forced pilots William Parkes and Michael Pelea to perform high-speed maneuvers and employ jamming and thermal deception, which drastically increased fuel consumption.

The magazine explained that the operation was part of a complex mission involving B-2 Spirit bombers and other aircraft. It noted that the Yemenis were able to combine radar-guided missiles with optical, electro-optical, and infrared sensors that went undetected by US sensors.

The magazine quoted one of the pilots as saying that a missile passed directly under the wing of the aircraft “close enough to hear its roar,” a moment he described as still vivid in his memory.

Subsequent analyses also indicated that the operation was managed with an unusual command structure, with General Michael Eric Corella transferring command of air operations in Yemen from Air Forces Central Command to the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, a move likely unprecedented for managing an air campaign of this scale in the Middle East.