![Houthi Rebels Report Strikes on Two Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea</TITLE]Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi Arabian oil tankers navigating the Red Sea.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on Wednesday, “We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named ENCELA and LAYLIA, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces.”Saree noted that the operation utilized a combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.While Saudi Arabia has yet to issue a formal response, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving reports of a strike. According to the UKMTO, a vessel’s master reported being hit by an unidentified projectile, resulting in an onboard fire that the crew is currently working to extinguish.The escalation follows the Houthi movement’s decision on July 20 to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. This move comes amidst heightened volatility in Yemen, following recent airstrikes by the Yemeni government on Sanaa Airport intended to intercept Iranian flights.Saudi Arabia has consistently denied Houthi allegations regarding a siege on the Yemeni population. Additionally, critics of the Houthi movement have highlighted their refusal to accept a Jordanian proposal to restore flight connections between Amman and Sanaa.As the US-Israel conflict with Iran has caused significant disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has sought to utilize alternative routes through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to maintain oil supplies. However, these routes are now facing direct threats from Houthi operations.The Houthi campaign against shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait began in October 2023, following the start of the conflict in Gaza, and continued through the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire in October 2025.The Bab al-Mandeb Strait serves as a vital global maritime artery, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. At its narrowest, the chokepoint is only 29km wide, restricting traffic to two channels for vessels moving toward or away from the Suez Canal.In 2024, approximately 4.1 billion barrels of crude and refined petroleum products—roughly five percent of the global supply—traversed this strait. Given the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war with Iran, any closure of the Bab al-Mandeb could potentially obstruct up to 25 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply.](https://i2.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ap_6a613e7ed9b96-1784757886.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440&w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Houthi Rebels Report Strikes on Two Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea</TITLE]Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi Arabian oil tankers navigating the Red Sea.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on Wednesday, “We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named ENCELA and LAYLIA, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces.”Saree noted that the operation utilized a combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.While Saudi Arabia has yet to issue a formal response, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving reports of a strike. According to the UKMTO, a vessel’s master reported being hit by an unidentified projectile, resulting in an onboard fire that the crew is currently working to extinguish.The escalation follows the Houthi movement’s decision on July 20 to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. This move comes amidst heightened volatility in Yemen, following recent airstrikes by the Yemeni government on Sanaa Airport intended to intercept Iranian flights.Saudi Arabia has consistently denied Houthi allegations regarding a siege on the Yemeni population. Additionally, critics of the Houthi movement have highlighted their refusal to accept a Jordanian proposal to restore flight connections between Amman and Sanaa.As the US-Israel conflict with Iran has caused significant disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has sought to utilize alternative routes through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to maintain oil supplies. However, these routes are now facing direct threats from Houthi operations.The Houthi campaign against shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait began in October 2023, following the start of the conflict in Gaza, and continued through the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire in October 2025.The Bab al-Mandeb Strait serves as a vital global maritime artery, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. At its narrowest, the chokepoint is only 29km wide, restricting traffic to two channels for vessels moving toward or away from the Suez Canal.In 2024, approximately 4.1 billion barrels of crude and refined petroleum products—roughly five percent of the global supply—traversed this strait. Given the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war with Iran, any closure of the Bab al-Mandeb could potentially obstruct up to 25 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply.")
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is seeking industry collaboration to address persistent supply chain constraints that are hampering production of the M1 Abrams tank’s AGT1500 engine, thereby impacting operational readiness.
The primary obstacles involve critical subcomponents of the AGT1500 engine, manufactured by Honeywell Aerospace and sourced from downstream suppliers. According to Brandon Pender, Chief Technology Investment Officer at the Army’s DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center, these supply‑chain disruptions can postpone deliveries by months or even up to a year, leaving many Abrams tanks idle.
In response, the Army organized a “TIGER hackathon” on July 14, convening more than 40 vendors and senior officials, including Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, commander of Army Material Command. The three‑day event focused on identifying: (1) secondary suppliers for AGT1500 subcomponents; (2) firms capable of employing advanced manufacturing techniques for these parts; and (3) companies that can provide raw materials.
“Our goal in hosting the hackathon was to pinpoint solutions that would alleviate critical sourcing and manufacturing bottlenecks for the engine, thereby enhancing and sustaining operational readiness of the Abrams platform,” said Phil Labut, a logistics‑management specialist at the Tank‑automotive and Armaments Command.
The initiative has high‑level backing, extending to Gen. Mohan, which according to Labut, helps accelerate progress.
The Army has identified 166 critical, single‑source components that directly affect delivery timelines and fleet readiness for the engine—commonly nicknamed the “Tiger.” The broader effort is encapsulated in the Total Integrated Engine Revitalization (TIGER) program.
Rick Harris, division chief of the Stryker and Infantry Squad Vehicle programs at Army Contracting Command–Detroit Arsenal, noted that the Army already holds intellectual‑property rights to 122 of those critical parts. In the coming days, the service will issue an Area of Interest (AOI) solicitation targeting those 122 components, inviting industry to collaborate with the government and Honeywell. The goal is to secure second‑source suppliers, advanced‑manufacturing capabilities, or raw‑material supplies. Ideally, the Army would also acquire IP for the remaining critical components to broaden the industrial base and increase supply‑chain resilience.
None of the officials interviewed could specify which exact components or materials are the most problematic. However, Brandon Pender highlighted that casting and molding processes suffer from extended lead times. Additionally, Phil Labut confirmed earlier reports that the turbine impeller—produced via a specialized vacuum‑forge process—can only be manufactured by a single U.S. supplier, a situation that has contributed to delivery delays.
Pender expressed hope that new industry partners could introduce sophisticated advanced‑manufacturing tools to ease these choke points. While the Army conducts extensive 3D‑printing and advanced fabrication at Rock Island Arsenal, the technical demands of the Abrams engine require even more specialized capabilities.
“These parts require a level of precision and quality that borders on aerospace engineering,” Pender observed.
Pender indicated that, should conditions align, the Army aims to have contract awards in place by October 1. He noted that many of the hackathon participants were non‑traditional or commercial vendors looking to expand into defense work.
“I’m optimistic about where this can lead, especially with these new vendors tackling the problem,” he added.
Also Read
- Houthi Rebels Report Strikes on Two Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea</TITLE]Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi Arabian oil tankers navigating the Red Sea.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on Wednesday, “We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named ENCELA and LAYLIA, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces.”Saree noted that the operation utilized a combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.While Saudi Arabia has yet to issue a formal response, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving reports of a strike. According to the UKMTO, a vessel’s master reported being hit by an unidentified projectile, resulting in an onboard fire that the crew is currently working to extinguish.The escalation follows the Houthi movement’s decision on July 20 to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. This move comes amidst heightened volatility in Yemen, following recent airstrikes by the Yemeni government on Sanaa Airport intended to intercept Iranian flights.Saudi Arabia has consistently denied Houthi allegations regarding a siege on the Yemeni population. Additionally, critics of the Houthi movement have highlighted their refusal to accept a Jordanian proposal to restore flight connections between Amman and Sanaa.As the US-Israel conflict with Iran has caused significant disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has sought to utilize alternative routes through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to maintain oil supplies. However, these routes are now facing direct threats from Houthi operations.The Houthi campaign against shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait began in October 2023, following the start of the conflict in Gaza, and continued through the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire in October 2025.The Bab al-Mandeb Strait serves as a vital global maritime artery, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. At its narrowest, the chokepoint is only 29km wide, restricting traffic to two channels for vessels moving toward or away from the Suez Canal.In 2024, approximately 4.1 billion barrels of crude and refined petroleum products—roughly five percent of the global supply—traversed this strait. Given the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war with Iran, any closure of the Bab al-Mandeb could potentially obstruct up to 25 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply.
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