Manufacturer catalog

Yemen's Military Manufacturing Directorate

Yemen's Military Manufacturing Directorate denotes a Yemeni military production structure credited in open-source reporting with the 2017 Hudhud-1 reconnaissance UAV presentation and related short-range drone work.

1 weapons

Open-source reporting from the February 2017 unveiling attributed four drones to Yemeni military production structures: Qasef-1, Hudhud-1, Raqib, and Rased. The public evidence is strongest for the short-range reconnaissance systems described at the event, including Hudhud-1 and Rased, while later technical investigations raised doubts about some broader indigenous-manufacture claims.

The directorate is best understood as a state-linked military production network rather than a transparent commercial company. Public sources do not identify a corporate register, headquarters, or official website for the organization; the source-backed public record instead centers on UAV production claims tied to the 2017 drone presentation.

reconnaissance UAVsindigenous UAV productionlight military manufacturing

Notable Systems

Hudhud-1 UAV

Reconnaissance UAV

Hudhud-1 is the directly connected catalog record attributed to this Yemeni military production structure; UAS Vision and Press TV described it as a domestically designed and manufactured reconnaissance drone with a 30 km operating radius.

Sources: Yemeni Army Unveils Indigenous Drones, Yemeni army unveils new indigenous combat, reconnaissance drones

Rased UAV

Fixed-wing reconnaissance UAV

Rased was named in the same 2017 Yemeni drone presentation and is cataloged separately as a Skywalker X-8-derived reconnaissance UAV; UN reporting supports the commercial-airframe caveat, so the link reflects public presentation context rather than an unqualified manufacturing claim.

Sources: Yemeni Army Unveils Indigenous Drones, UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, S/2018/594

Manufacturer History

2017-02-26
Hudhud-1 unveiled publicly
Press TV reported that Yemeni forces unveiled four domestically designed and manufactured drones, including the Hudhud-1 reconnaissance UAV.
Sources: Yemeni army unveils new indigenous combat, reconnaissance drones
2019-03-05
Yemeni media describes domestic drone production
Saba reported that Yemen's army had produced four domestically manufactured drones, again naming Hudhud-1 among the public examples.
Sources: Yemeni ballistic missiles hopes to Level Playing Field in Saudi War: Report
2020
CAR describes mixed domestic and foreign sourcing
Conflict Armament Research assessed that Houthi UAV development combined domestic manufacture of some components with procurement of more sophisticated electronic items from foreign supply networks, a useful caveat for interpreting Yemeni domestic-production claims.
Sources: Evolution of UAVs employed by Houthi forces in Yemen

Website links

Yemeni Army Unveils Indigenous Drones Yemeni army unveils new indigenous combat, reconnaissance drones Yemeni ballistic missiles hopes to Level Playing Field in Saudi War: Report Evolution of UAVs employed by Houthi forces in Yemen

Public reporting does not identify a formal corporate-style manufacturer record for the directorate. Claims of domestic Yemeni drone manufacture should be read alongside later UN and CAR technical reporting that documents foreign airframes, components, and supply chains in parts of the Houthi UAV inventory.

Manufacturer Sources

Yemeni Army Unveils Indigenous DronesPublisher: UAS Vision | Note: Supports the Hudhud-1 attribution, the public unveiling of domestically designed and manufactured drones, and the available specification context for the Yemeni UAV production label. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
Yemeni army unveils new indigenous combat, reconnaissance dronesPublisher: Press TV | Note: Supports the public claim that Yemeni forces unveiled domestically designed and manufactured drones, including Hudhud-1, and provides a second independent description of the drone-production context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
Yemeni ballistic missiles hopes to Level Playing Field in Saudi War: ReportPublisher: Saba | Note: Supports Yemeni military manufacturing background and the public attribution of Hudhud-1 as one of four domestically manufactured drones mentioned by Yemeni state media. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
Evolution of UAVs employed by Houthi forces in YemenPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports the broader background that Houthi UAV development includes domestic manufacture of some components alongside foreign procurement of more sophisticated electronics. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, S/2018/594Publisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Supports the caveat that Rased examples documented in Yemen were assessed as commercially available Skywalker-8 airframes rather than a wholly Yemeni design. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Hudhud-1 UAV, Reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

2014 Yemen Civil WarHudhud-1 UAVReconnaissance UAVBuilt in: YemenThe Hudhud-1 UAV, also reported as Hoopoe-1, is a Yemeni short-range reconnaissance drone unveiled in 2017 as one of four reported domestically designed and manufactured Houthi-aligned UAVs. Open-source reporting places it at roughly 1.5 meters long, with a 1.9-meter wingspan and about 90 minutes of endurance.