On October 1, a UAE auxiliary ship was hit by four rockets reportedly launched by Houthi rebels while sailing near Yemen in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping lane. This ship was contracted to UAE and supported the Saudi-led Arab coalition that has been defending Yemen’s internationally-recognized government since March 2015. While the ship was damaged and had to be towed to port, no casualties were reported. In response, the U.S. Navy has dispatched three warships, two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Mason (DDG-87) and USS Nitze (DDG-94), and a floating staging ship, the USS Ponce, near the southern coast of Yemen in order to ensure that commercial activity continues unimpeded in the strait.