This came in his statements for the Sunday (2/20/2020) episode of the "Beyond the News" program, which asked about the indications of the Houthi group's announcement that it had shot down a US-made spy plane, and the implications of the group's development capabilities in the course of the war in Yemen with the inability of the Saudi-Emirati coalition to resolve ?
Al-Bakheeti stressed that there is a development process that will go faster in the future, because their manufacturing capabilities - which were near zero - have evolved to confront advanced aircraft, with American recognition.
For his part, the military and strategic expert, Khaled Hamadeh, went on to say that the downed plane is traveling at a speed not exceeding 80 km per hour, and therefore it is a plane of weak and modest capabilities - according to his description - considering that the Houthis do not have air capabilities that work for them, compared to what the coalition countries possess And the United States of America.
In turn, Nabil Khoury, the former deputy head of the American political mission in Yemen, considered that shooting down the plane is not of great importance, because it is a reconnaissance plane and not a spy, considering that it is a simple plane used by non-governmental organizations in America to explore the environment and the weather.
He added that her length is less than two meters and she can fall by herself if she is exposed to strong winds, noting that she does not need an advanced weapon to bring her down.
It is noteworthy that the Houthi group announced that its air defenses shot down a RQ20 spy plane belonging to the Saudi-Emirati coalition in the airspace of the Haradh district in northwest Yemen, opposite the Saudi Jazan region. The military spokesman for the group, Yahya Sari, said that the plane was shot down with an appropriate weapon.