Skilled Saudi pilots outwit Houthi defenses

Saudi pilots have been outmaneuvering Houthi defenses by launching attacks without being shot, according to reports on Monday.
A six-minute video has emerged on social networking sites showing a pilot filming a fellow officer performing skillful evasive actions while carrying out an operation.
Saudi fighter pilots first developed a reputation in the air during the 1991 Gulf war. Ayed Al-Shamrani, the pilot of an F-15C Eagle plane, brought down two Iraqi war planes in 30 seconds.
Sayed Al-Jabiri, an Egyptian strategic expert, said that Saudi pilots have shown a lot of courage and professionalism since operation Decisive Storm was announced on March 26. He said it was difficult to launch operations in different geographical areas.
Gen. Husam Sweilim, the former director of an Egyptian strategic center, said that this operation required reliable intelligence, and high level cooperation and effort.
Michael Knights from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Saudi Arabia has acquired a great deal of experience during previous operations against the Houthis, but the latest attacks are among the most complicated military operations. It would become especially difficult if Riyadh opens a front against the Houthis in northern Yemen, he said.
Knights said Saudi planes carried out successful strikes against several military targets in Sanaa and against important Houthi-controlled areas in Harf Sufyan in Amran governorate. Raids have included the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatari air forces.
Around 170 fighter planes were involved in these operations, 100 of which were from Saudi Arabia. Most of these planes were F-15s and Tornadoes. The United Arab Emirates had 30, Bahrain 15, Jordan six and Morocco six.