A video shared on Facebook purports to show Houthi rebels destroying an American F-15 aircraft.
Verdict: False
The video shows a military simulation from the video game Arma 3, not real footage, according to YouTube. A spokesperson for Bohemia Interactive, the developer behind Arma 3, confirmed the Facebook clip showed footage from the game in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
The Houthi rebels have been re-designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., according to NBC News. President Joe Biden had previously removed the rebel group’s terrorist organization, claiming it hindered “humanitarian assistance to Yemen,” Axios reported.
The Facebook video purports to show Houthi rebels destroying an American F-15 aircraft. In the video, the jet appears to be targeted with a barrage of gunfire before it ultimately descends into a fiery crash. The clip also circulated on X, the social media platform previously called Twitter, where it garnered over 100,000 views.
The video does not show real footage but rather a military simulation from the video game Arma 3, according to YouTube. The video was shared on the platform back in December 2022.
“Patriot System in Action – Jet Down – Surface-to-Air Missile – C-RAM – Military Simulation – ArmA 3 Surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. The C-RAM/Phalanx CIWS (Counter-Rocket Artillery Mortar) system and CIWS (Close In Weapon System) use a 20mm gatling cannon to destroy incoming targets,” the video’s description reads in part.
“This video was created using content of Bohemia Interactive a.s.,” it later adds.
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the Facebook clip referenced in any recent credible news reports about the Houthi rebels or Yemen. The video also does not appear on the U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) website or its verified social media accounts.
A spokesperson for Bohemia Interactive, the developer behind Arma 3, confirmed the Facebook clip showed footage from the game in an email to Check Your Fact.
“I can confirm that the video below was produced featuring footage from [the] Arma 3 game from Bohemia Interactive,” the spokesperson said.
According to Bohemia Interactive’s website, “Arma 3 is the PC’s premier military game.” The game features “a world of tactical opportunities” as well as a “wide variety of single- and multiplayer content,” also according to the website. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Downed U.S. Jet In Yemen?)
Check Your Fact has also contacted CENTCOM for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.