US Navy warships have the tools to fend off exploding drones like those wrecking a Russian fleet, but it's a dangerous and evolving threat.
In two conflicts separated by more than 1,000 miles, US friends and foes alike have turned to a deadly weapon to defeat their enemy's warships: small naval drones packed with explosives.
For over a year, Ukraine has relied on these systems to blast Russian warships in the Black Sea, and more recently, the Houthis have used them — albeit unsuccessfully — in their ongoing attacks against shipping lanes off the coast of Yemen.
Such engagements have raised questions about the preparedness of Western navies. US warships and aircraft, for example, are showing they're capable of defeating the Houthi's naval drones, but these kinds of systems are likely to prove an evolving threat, as they have in the Black Sea.