U.S. widens role in Yemen conflict The U.S. is expanding its support for Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthi rebels with aerial refuelling of warplanes, supply of precision-guided weapons, intelligence sharing, and resumption of drone strikes --------------------------------------------------------------- Houthi control Houthi presence Air strikes Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula presence SAUDI ARABIA Hodeida Sadah Sanaa Yarim Red Sea Taizz Bab al Mandab Camp Lemonnier U.S. military base DJIBOUTI Marib Al Anad air base Mar 21: 100 U.S. troops evacuated after Al Qaeda seizes nearby town SOMALIA Al Kharkhir U.S. drone base YEMEN Al Mukalla Apr 2: Al Qaeda storms Yemen’s fifth-largest city Apr 12: Al Qaeda leader killed by U.S. drone strike GULF OF ADEN OMAN 200km 125 miles -------------------------------------------------------------- Saudi-led “Decisive Storm” Saudi Arabia: 100 aircraft including F-15s, Tornado IDS, Typhoons and support aircraft. 150,000 troops United Arab Emirates: 30 F-16E/F Desert Falcons and Mirage 2000s Kuwait: 15 F/A-18 Hornet fighters Bahrain: 12 F-16 Fighting Falcons Qatar: 10 Mirage 2000s Jordan: Six F-16s Morocco: Six F-16s Sudan: 3 Sukhoi Su-24 Fencers -------------------------------------------------------------- Naval presence in area United States: Carrier Strike Group including aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, missile cruiser USS Normandy, destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill, USS Farragut and USS Forrest Sherman in Gulf of Aden Egypt: Four warships to Red Sea Iran Navy: Larak warship, Alborz guided-missile destroyer and Bushehr helicopter carrier patrolling Gulf of Aden ---------------------------------------------------------------s Sources: Jane’s Defence Weekly, Aviation Week, Al Arabiya News, Debka File words 237