The United States has lost seven multi-million-dollar MQ-9 Reaper drones in the Yemen area since March 15, a US official said Monday, as the Navy announced a costly warplane fell off an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea.

Washington launched the latest round of its air campaign against Yemen's Huthis in mid-March, and MQ-9s can be used for both reconnaissance -- a key aspect of US efforts to identify and target weaponry the rebels are using to attack shipping in the region -- as well as strikes.

"There have been seven MQ-9s that have gone down since March 15," the US official said on condition of anonymity, without specifying what caused the loss of the drones, which cost around $30 million apiece.

The US Navy meanwhile........

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