Houthi bomb boats, including some not seen before, are threatening Red Sea ships while the US Navy's aircraft carriers are away

• The Houthis have stepped up their attacks and intimidation efforts with their drone boats.
• In their latest messaging, the rebels shared a new video of a previously unseen system in action.
• The uptick comes as the US Navy lacks an aircraft carrier in the region.

The US Navy is in the middle of changing up its forces in the Middle East. An aircraft carrier that spent months in the counter-Houthi fight heads home, leaving a gap as another one makes its way toward the region to take over.

It has been over a week since the US last had an aircraft carrier on station in the Red Sea, meaning the Pentagon can't depend on the routine combat air patrols and immense firepower having a carrier in the region has provided over the past seven months.