Houthi Drone And Missile Handbook

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The goal of this list is to comprehensively catalogue the current inventory of drones, rockets and missiles of the Houthi rebels as well as clarify their origin. The part within apostrophes refers to the designation given by Houthis to foreign-delivered equipment. A year in square brackers after the designation refers to its perceived date of inception in Yemen. The year is only added to armament delivered or produced after the Houthi takeover of Yemen in 2014/2015.

 

(Click on the equipment to get a picture of them in Houthi service.)

Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

• ''Hudhud-1'' [2017]
• Skywalker X8 ''Rased or Rased-1'' (Likely supplied by Iran)
• RQ-11 Raven ''Raqeep'' (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• ''Samad-1'' [2019]
  
• ''Mersad-1'' [2021]
• ''Nabaa'' [2021]
  

 

Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicles (UCAVs)

• ''Samad-4'' [2021]
• YD6-1000S ''Rujum'' [2021] (Likely supplied by Iran)

Loitering Munitions

• Ababil-2T ''Qasef-1'' [2017]
• Ababil-2T ''Qasef-2K'' [2019]
  
• ''Samad-2'' [2019]
• ''Samad-3'' [2019] 
• ''Shihab'' [2021]
• ''Khatif'' [2021]
• Shahed-136 ''Wa'aed'' [2021]
  

 

Ballistic Missiles

• OTR-21 Tochka (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) (Stocks Depleted)
• R-17 Elbrus Scud-B (Most converted to Borkans. Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) (Stocks Depleted)
• Hwasŏng-5/6 (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks. Most converted to Borkans) (Stocks Depleted)
• Borkan-1 [2016] (Modified Scud/Hwasŏng missile inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) (Stocks Depleted)
• Borkan-2 [2017] (Modified Scud/Hwasŏng missile inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) (Stocks Depleted)
• Qiam-1 ''Borkan-H2'' [2017]
• Qiam-1 ''Borkan-3 or Zolfaghar'' [2019]
• Qiam-2 ''Falaq'' [2022]
• ''Qasim-2'' [2021]
• Fateh-110 ''Karrar'' [2022]
• Kheibar Shekan ''Hatim'' [2022]
• Qaher-1 (Repurposed Soviet V-750 missile of S-75 SAM inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) (Stocks Depleted)
• Qaher-M2 (Modified Soviet V-750 missile of S-75 SAM inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) (Stocks Depleted)
• Badr-F [2019]
• Nakal [2021] (Improved version of the Badr-F)

 

Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCMs)

• Soumar ''Quds-351'' [2019]
• Soumar ''Quds-2'' [2021]
• Soumar ''Quds-3'' [2022]

 

Coastal Defence Missile Systems

• P-15 Termit ''Ro'beige'' (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Navy stocks)
• P-15M Termit ''Rubezh'' (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Navy stocks)
• C-801 ''Al-Mandab-1'' (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Navy stocks)
• Qaher ''Al-Mandab-2'' [2019]

 

Anti-Ship (Guided) Rockets

• Fajr-4CL ''Faleq-1'' [2022]

Surface-To-Air Missile (SAM) Systems

• S-75 (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) (Usage documented once. Most converted to Qahers) (Stocks Depleted)
• 9K31 Strela-1 (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) 
• 2K12 Kub ''Fater-1'' (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• R-60M (AAM modified for SAM role. Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Air Force stocks)
• R-73E ''Thaqib-1'' (AAM modified for SAM role. Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Air Force stocks)
• R-27T ''Thaqib-2'' (AAM modified for SAM role. Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Air Force stocks)
• R-77 ''Thaqib-3'' (AAM modified for SAM role. Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Air Force stocks) (Not known to have been operationally deployed)
• Sayyad-2C [2018] (Not known to have been operationally deployed)
  
• ''Saqr-1'' ''358'' [2019]

 

Artillery Rockets

• Zelzal-1 (Collective designation for IRAMs) Four configurations: (2) (3) (4)
• Zelzal-2 (Soviet S-24 air-launched rocket inherited from pre-war Yemeni Air Force stocks)
• Zelzal-3 (Cannibalized 9M21 rocket of 9K52 Luna-M system inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks) ((Stocks Depleted)
• Samood (Cannibalized 9M21 rocket of 9K52 Luna-M system inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)(Stocks Depleted)

 

Guided Rockets

• ''Badr-1P'' [2018]
• ''Badr-2P'' [2022]
• ''Badr-3'' [2022]
• ''Saeer'' [2021]
• ''Qasim-1'' [2021]

Multiple Rocket Launchers (MRLs)

•  107mm Type 63 (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 122mm Sakr 6 (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 122mm Sakr 40 (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 122mm BM-21 Grad (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 122mm Grad Single Tube Launcher (Converted from BM-21s inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 122mm Grad Dual Tube Launcher (Converted from BM-21s inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 132mm M13 'Katyusha' (Stocks Depleted) (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 220mm BM-27 'Uragan' (Stocks Depleted) (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 220mm BM-27 On Star 1466 Truck (Stocks Depleted)
• 220mm BM-27 Uragan Single Tube Launcher (Stocks Depleted)
• Al-Najim al-Thaqib 1 (Stocks Depleted)
• Al-Najim al-Thaqib 2 (Stocks Depleted)
• Al-Sarkha-3 (Stocks Depleted)
• ''Badr-1'' [2018] Three launcher configurations: (1, Truck-Based Launcher) (2, Truck-Based Launcher ) (3, Underground Launcher)

Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems (MANPADS)

• 9K32 Strela-2 (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 9K34 Strela-3 (Origin unknown)
• 9K338 Igla-S (Origin unknown)
• Misagh-1 [2022]
• Misagh-2 [2022]

Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs)

• 9M14 Malyutka (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 9M111 Fagot (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 9M1113 Konkurs (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 9M115 Metis (Inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks)
• 9M133 Kornet [2016]
  
• Towsan-1 [2016]
  
• Dehlavieh [2016]
  
• Saeghe [2017]
  
• Toophan [2018]
  

 

Special thanks to Joshua Koontz.

 

Recommended Articles:

List Of Arms Supplied To Yemen’s Houthi Rebels By Iran Since 2015 

Houthi Rebels Unveil Host of Weaponry, Compounding Drone and Missile Threat

Handbook Of Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles