Country catalog

Yemen Weapons and Military Equipment

Browse 26 weapon systems built or assembled in Yemen, including aircraft & uavs, armored vehicles, and related systems, with images, specifications, source notes, and conflict records.

26 weapon systems

26Catalog records

5Equipment categories

8Leading builders shown

2Conflict links shown

Category Mix

Aircraft & UAVs5 Armored Vehicles5 Artillery4 Munitions9 Naval Systems3

Builder Links

Houthi movement19 Iranian defense industry4 Unknown3 Missile Research and Development Center (MRDC)2 Yemeni defense industry2 Bumar-Labedy1 Gorky Automobile Plant1 KMZ1

Conflict Coverage

2014 Yemen Civil War242023 Red Sea Crisis8

Qasef-2K loitering munition / UAV, Loitering munition / UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

2014 Yemen Civil WarQasef-2K loitering munition / UAVLoitering munition / UAVBuilt by: Houthi movementThe Qasef-2K is a Houthi one-way attack UAV and loitering munition in the Qasef/Ababil-T family. Open-source reporting ties the type to the 10 January 2019 al-Anad parade attack, a reported 23 June 2019 Abha airport strike, and a July 2019 Houthi unveiling in Sana'a, while technical sources caution that its differences from Qasef-1 are not clearly established.

Samad-3 UAV, Long-range one-way attack UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisSamad-3 UAVLong-range one-way attack UAVBuilt by: Houthi movementThe Samad-3 is the extended-range strike member of the Houthi-operated Samad UAV family, using a Samad-2-like airframe with added fuel capacity for attacks beyond Yemen. It is documented in the 2014 Yemen Civil War and 2023 Red Sea Crisis as a long-range one-way attack UAV, with later reporting also identifying KAS-04 as the same long-range variant.

Samad-2 UAV, Reconnaissance and loitering munition UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

2014 Yemen Civil WarSamad-2 UAVReconnaissance and loitering munition UAVBuilt by: Houthi movementThe Samad-2 is the Houthi Samad family’s UAV-X long-range reconnaissance and attack variant, documented in 2014 Yemen Civil War reporting with a V-tail pusher layout, camera fit, and 18 kg explosive warhead option. UN investigators inspected examples in Houthi service, while flight-performance work distinguishes the Samad-2 from the longer-ranged Samad-3 despite their shared airframe family.

Hudhud-1 UAV, Reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

2014 Yemen Civil WarHudhud-1 UAVReconnaissance UAVBuilt by: Yemen's Military Manufacturing DirectorateThe 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.

Samad-1 UAV, Surveillance and reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

2014 Yemen Civil WarSamad-1 UAVSurveillance and reconnaissance UAVBuilt by: Houthi movementThe Samad-1 is the baseline reconnaissance member of the Houthi Samad UAV family, publicly unveiled in Sana'a in July 2019. Open-source technical analysis estimates a 3.5 m wingspan and about 460 km range, placing it at the surveillance end of the family's long-range drone line.

Qutaish-1 armored vehicle, 4x4 armored protected vehicle, Armored Vehicles

2014 Yemen Civil WarQutaish-1 armored vehicle4x4 armored protected vehicleBuilt by: Not publicly documented in cited sourcesThe Qutaish-1 is the Yemeni designation for a Leopard APV batch assembled in Yemen after South African supply. DefenceWeb records the order as 50 vehicles delivered in 2009-2010, and Oryx later places Qutaish-1 in pre-war Yemeni Army inventories available to battlefield parties during the 2014 Yemen Civil War.

Qutaish-2 armored vehicle, 4x4 armored protected vehicle, Armored Vehicles

2014 Yemen Civil WarQutaish-2 armored vehicle4x4 armored protected vehicleBuilt by: Yemeni Armed Forces Military Industrialization AuthorityThe Qutaish-2 is a Yemeni 4x4 armored protected vehicle from the country’s military-industries effort, built with South African-supported component production and assembly in Yemen. Al Bayan reported in 2010 that Yemen had moved from the Qutaish-1 line into Qutaish-2 production, while DefenceWeb later described a 250-vehicle Qutaish-2 (Leopard) contract delivered across 2009-2014, making it one of Yemen’s clearest locally assembled armored vehicle programs.

BTR-60 with AML-90 turret, Improvised 8x8 armored fighting vehicle / fire-support conversion, Armored Vehicles

2014 Yemen Civil WarBTR-60 with AML-90 turretImprovised 8x8 armored fighting vehicle / fire-support conversionBuilt by: Unknown / Gorky Automobile Plant / PanhardThe BTR-60 with AML-90 turret is a Yemeni field conversion that combines a Soviet BTR-60PB armored personnel carrier hull with the 90 mm gun turret from a French Panhard AML-90 armored car. The hybrid traded the base APC's machine-gun turret for a much heavier direct-fire weapon, reflecting Yemen's improvised use of aging armored stocks during the civil war.

M113 with AML-90 Turret, Improvised tracked fire-support vehicle, Armored Vehicles

2014 Yemen Civil WarM113 with AML-90 TurretImprovised tracked fire-support vehicleBuilt by: UnknownThe M113 with AML-90 turret is a Yemeni field conversion that combines an M113 armored personnel carrier hull with an AML-90-family 90 mm gun turret. Oryx documented the exact vehicle type in Yemen's pre-war inventory, while a 2022 Hodeidah parade thread showed Houthi forces parading an improvised M113-variant vehicle with an AML-90-or-Ratel-90-type turret.

Jalal 3 armored vehicle, Light 4x4 armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles

2014 Yemen Civil WarJalal 3 armored vehicleLight 4x4 armored personnel carrierBuilt by: Yemeni defense industryThe Jalal 3 is a Yemeni-built 4x4 armored personnel carrier associated with Hassan Farhan bin Jalal al-Obaidi and Yemen's military-industrial workshops. Public sources describe a commercial-vehicle-derived troop carrier for urban and rural mobility with light turret options and 7.62 mm small-arms protection; conflict-period evidence is limited to Yemeni deployment reporting and later open-source imagery captions.

Qaher-1 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Artillery

2014 Yemen Civil WarQaher-1 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBuilt by: Houthi movement / Missile Research and Development Center (MRDC)Qaher-1 is the early Houthi-aligned conversion of Yemeni S-75/SA-2 V-755 surface-to-air missile stocks into an unguided land-attack rocket. Fielded in late 2015 during the 2014 Yemen Civil War, it gave the movement a locally modified cross-border strike option against Saudi border-region bases, airports, and infrastructure before the longer-range Qaher-M2 appeared.

Qaher-M2 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Artillery

2014 Yemen Civil WarQaher-M2 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBuilt by: Houthi movement / Missile Research and Development Center (MRDC)Qaher-M2 is the improved Houthi Qaher-family short-range ballistic missile derived from Yemeni S-75/SA-2 V-755 surface-to-air missile stocks. CSIS and other missile-proliferation reporting describe it as a March 2017 follow-on to Qaher-1, with reported 400 km range, a roughly 350 kg warhead, and repeated cross-border use against Saudi targets during the 2014 Yemen Civil War.

Badr-1 rocket, Unguided artillery rocket, Artillery

2014 Yemen Civil WarBadr-1 rocketUnguided artillery rocketBuilt by: Houthi movement / Local craft producers and blacksmith workshopsThe Badr-1 is a Yemeni Houthi-associated solid-propellant rocket documented in the 2014 Yemen Civil War for cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia. Open-source reporting and Houthi statements often call it a ballistic missile, but UN and CSIS material describe it more narrowly as a locally produced, unguided artillery rocket.

ATS-59-122, Yemeni 122 mm tracked self-propelled artillery conversion, Artillery

2014 Yemen Civil WarATS-59-122Yemeni 122 mm tracked self-propelled artillery conversionBuilt by: Unknown / KMZ / Kurgan / Bumar-LabedyThe ATS-59-122 is a rare Yemeni self-propelled artillery conversion that pairs an ATS-59-family tracked artillery tractor with a 122 mm D-30-type gun. Its Yemen Civil War record is source-limited: Oryx identifies the vehicle in pre-war Yemeni Army self-propelled artillery stocks, while separate sources support the Soviet/Polish chassis lineage and distinguish related North Korean Tokchon ATS-59-based guns from the Yemeni conversion.

Asef anti-ship ballistic missile, Anti-ship ballistic missile, Munitions

2023 Red Sea CrisisAsef anti-ship ballistic missileAnti-ship ballistic missileBuilt by: Houthi movementAsef, also written Asif, is the Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile unveiled in the group's 2022 parade and described by analysts as a Fateh-family derivative, probably closest to Iran's Fateh-313. Open-source reporting tied it to the January 2024 M/V Zografia strike and later Houthi ASBM launches in the Red Sea crisis.

Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions

2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt by: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industryAl-Mandab-2 is a Houthi designation for an anti-ship cruise missile displayed in 2022 and associated by UN, defense, and component-analysis sources with the C-802-derived Iranian Noor/Ghader/Ghadir family. Houthi-affiliated media claimed a seven-meter missile with a 300-kilometer range and micro-turbojet propulsion, while outside assessments differ on whether the public evidence best matches Ghader, Ghadir, or a broader C-802 derivative.

Quds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions

2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisQuds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt by: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industryThe Quds-Z-0 is a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile unveiled in 2023 as an EO/IR-guided maritime derivative of the Iranian Paveh/Quds cruise-missile family. Open-source analysis ties it to Houthi parade displays in Yemen and later lists it among the Paveh/Quds-based anti-ship cruise missiles used in the Red Sea anti-shipping campaign, with individual strike attribution still limited in public reporting.

Sayyad anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions

2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisSayyad anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt by: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industryThe Sayyad is a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile tied by IISS to the Iranian Paveh/Project 351 or Quds cruise-missile family. It is described in open sources as the radar-seeker counterpart to the EO/IR-guided Quds-Z-0, giving Houthi-aligned forces a long-range maritime-strike option during the Yemen war and the later Red Sea anti-shipping campaign.

Badr-1P guided rocket, Guided artillery rocket, Munitions

2014 Yemen Civil WarBadr-1P guided rocketGuided artillery rocketBuilt by: Houthi movementThe Badr-1P is the guided Houthi follow-on to the Badr-1 rocket family, unveiled in October 2018 and documented in the 2014 Yemen Civil War as a locally produced precision-strike rocket with rear control fins, claimed metre-level accuracy, and reported 130-150 km range claims.

Badr-F guided rocket, Guided artillery rocket, Munitions

2014 Yemen Civil WarBadr-F guided rocketGuided artillery rocketBuilt by: Houthi movementThe Badr-F guided rocket is a Houthi-made precision-guided rocket in the Badr family; IISS groups Badr-F/Nakkal in the same 2019-generation branch. Saba reported the Badr-F in April 2019 with a 160 km range, an air-burst warhead that bursts about 20 meters above the target, and roughly 14,000 fragments spread across a 350-meter pattern.

Quds-1 land-attack cruise missile, Land-attack cruise missile, Munitions

2014 Yemen Civil WarQuds-1 land-attack cruise missileLand-attack cruise missileBuilt by: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industryThe Quds-1 is a Houthi land-attack cruise missile publicly displayed in Yemen in July 2019 and identified by U.S. sources as the 351 land-attack cruise missile. Open-source and UN-linked analysis describes a compact, ground-launched cruise missile powered by a TJ100-type turbojet and tied to Iranian design and supply networks despite Houthi claims of indigenous development. In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used the Quds-1 for long-range strikes against Saudi airport, desalination, and oil-infrastructure targets.

Palestine 2, Medium-range solid-fuel ballistic missile, Munitions

2023 Red Sea CrisisPalestine 2Medium-range solid-fuel ballistic missileBuilt by: Houthi movement / Yemeni defense industryPalestine 2 is a Houthi-claimed solid-fuel ballistic missile publicized during Yemen-launched attacks on Israel beginning in 2024. Houthi sources describe it as a locally made, two-stage hypersonic missile, but independent and UN-linked assessments treat it more cautiously as an Iranian-derived or Iranian-supplied medium-range system with unverified Mach 16 performance claims.

Burkan-1 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Munitions

2014 Yemen Civil WarBurkan-1 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBuilt by: Houthi movementBurkan-1 is the Houthi designation for a locally upgraded Scud-family ballistic missile, likely derived from the Shahab-1/Scud-B line, that Houthi-aligned forces unveiled in 2016 and used for cross-border strikes from Yemen toward Saudi and coalition targets.

Waterborne improvised explosive device, Remote-controlled explosive boat, Naval Systems

2014 Yemen Civil WarWaterborne improvised explosive deviceRemote-controlled explosive boatBuilt by: Houthi movementThe waterborne improvised explosive device is a Houthi-modified explosive boat pattern documented in Yemen's Red Sea theater. Conflict Armament Research examined a 10-meter patrol boat converted for remote command with video, GPS, autopilot, and throttle connections, twin Yamaha outboards, and an explosive train built around an RDX charge and a repurposed P-15 Termit warhead.

Mobile coastal launcher, Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles, Naval Systems

2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisMobile coastal launcherTruck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missilesBuilt by: Houthi movementThe Houthi mobile coastal launcher is a road-mobile shore-launch arrangement for anti-ship cruise missiles, built around recovered Yemeni C.801 launch equipment, trucks, and surface-search radars. It links the Al-Mandab-1/C-801 family to 2014 Yemen Civil War coastal defense and later appears in 2023 Red Sea Crisis reporting as Houthi truck-mounted anti-ship missiles and launchers threatened shipping from Houthi-controlled Yemen.

Explosive unmanned surface vessel, Uncrewed surface vessel, Naval Systems

2023 Red Sea Crisis, 2014 Yemen Civil WarExplosive unmanned surface vesselUncrewed surface vesselBuilt by: Houthi movementHouthi explosive unmanned surface vessels are one-way maritime attack craft used for Red Sea and Gulf of Aden interdiction. The family spans converted patrol-boat and fishing-skiff patterns, with CAR documenting a remote-controlled 2017 WBIED conversion and CENTCOM, AP, JMIC, and MARAD reporting later Red Sea crisis attacks against merchant shipping, including M/V Tutor, Magic Seas, and Eternity C.