Conflict side

Houthi-aligned forces Weapons and Military Equipment

Houthi-aligned forces is the canonical side grouping for Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, and the de facto military, security, governing, and allied structures operating under or alongside Houthi control in Yemen and the Red Sea conflict environment.

125 weapon systems
Overview

Houthi-aligned forces center on Ansar Allah, the Zaydi revivalist political-military movement that emerged from northern Yemen's Sa'ada governorate and became the dominant authority in Sana'a after the 2014 takeover of the capital. The grouping covers the movement's armed forces, de facto government institutions, security organs, supervisor networks, former state-force elements absorbed after the collapse of central authority, and local allied units represented in Yemen and Red Sea conflict records.

The side's equipment profile is unusually mixed. Linked records include pre-war Yemeni military stocks, captured armored vehicles and artillery, locally adapted rockets and UAVs, Iranian-linked missiles and components documented by UN, U.S., IISS, CSIS, and CAR sources, improvised explosive systems, coastal-defense weapons, and maritime attack systems used as the Yemen war expanded into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Ansar Allah, also rendered Ansarallah and often called the Houthi movement, grew from the Believing Youth and the wider Zaydi revivalist current in northern Yemen. After Hussein Badredden al-Houthi was killed in 2004, Abdulmalik al-Houthi became the movement's central leader, and repeated wars with the Yemeni government helped transform a regional insurgency into a durable armed organization.

The 2014 seizure of Sana'a shifted the movement from insurgent opposition into state-capture politics. Houthi-aligned forces took control of ministries, bases, missile depots, coastal areas, and security institutions, while the internationally recognized government eventually operated from outside the capital. The Supreme Political Council and de facto ministries provide formal administrative cover, but Sana'a Center and ACAPS reporting describe a parallel supervisor system that links Houthi leadership to national and local institutions.

The side's arsenal reflects that institutional capture and subsequent wartime adaptation. Older Soviet, Chinese, North Korean, Yemeni, and Western-origin systems appear alongside improvised launchers, technicals, mines, UAVs, anti-armor weapons, air-defense conversions, and locally branded missile families. Missile and UAV analysis by CSIS and IISS describes the Houthi strike ecosystem as a combination of inherited Yemeni stocks, local modification, and external technology pathways rather than a single clean production line.

Since late 2023, Houthi attacks on shipping and naval forces in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden, and approaches to Israel have made maritime strike systems central to the public record. UN Security Council Resolution 2722 condemned attacks on merchant and commercial vessels, while IISS and U.S. government reporting describe a campaign involving UAVs, anti-ship cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles, uncrewed surface vessels, and coastal launch infrastructure.

Ansar Allah structurecaptured Yemeni stocksmissiles and UAVsRed Sea maritime attackssanctions and interdictions
Featured Weapons
Samad-3 UAV, Long-range one-way attack UAV, Aircraft & UAVs

Samad-3 UAV

Represents the long-range UAV layer in linked Houthi-aligned records, bridging Yemen-war strike activity and Red Sea crisis documentation.

Aircraft & UAVs / Long-range one-way attack UAV
Quds-1 land-attack cruise missile, Land-attack cruise missile, Munitions

Quds-1 land-attack cruise missile

Highlights the land-attack cruise-missile portion of the side's strike ecosystem and the locally branded missile families in existing records.

Munitions / Land-attack cruise missile
Sayyad anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions

Sayyad anti-ship cruise missile

Anchors the anti-ship cruise-missile lane that became prominent as Houthi attacks expanded into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Munitions / Anti-ship cruise missile
Explosive unmanned surface vessel, Uncrewed surface vessel, Naval Systems

Explosive unmanned surface vessel

Covers the uncrewed maritime attack craft category without folding every Red Sea maritime incident into a missile-only narrative.

Naval Systems / Uncrewed surface vessel
BM-21 Grad, 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery

BM-21 Grad

Balances the profile with a legacy rocket-artillery system from the ground-war equipment base represented across Yemen records.

Artillery / 122 mm multiple rocket launcher
Ansar Allah, De Facto Rule, and the Supervisor System

Ansar Allah is the movement's formal name; U.S. and NCTC materials use Ansar Allah or Ansarallah alongside Houthis and Huthi Movement. The movement's early base was Sa'ada and its Zaydi revivalist networks, but the post-2011 political transition and the 2014 advance into Sana'a changed its operating scale. By 2015, the conflict had widened into a national war involving the internationally recognized government, Saudi-led coalition forces, southern forces, AQAP-linked militants, and later external Red Sea strike forces.

Abdulmalik al-Houthi remains the central Houthi leader in UN sanctions material. The Supreme Political Council functions as the main de facto executive institution in Houthi-held areas, and U.S. Treasury material identifies Mahdi al-Mashat as chairman of that council. Those titles do not fully explain command and governance: Sana'a Center and ACAPS describe an informal supervisor network that parallels formal ministries, embeds Houthi authority inside institutions, and links local decision-making back to the movement's inner circle.

The canonical side label is therefore broader than a single party office or an armed wing. It includes the movement's military apparatus, de facto government and security institutions, locally aligned forces, and former state-force elements that operated under Houthi control after the takeover of military depots, bases, and government offices.

From Sa'ada Insurgency to State-Capture Force

The 2004 Houthi Insurgency records correspond to the movement's northern Yemeni insurgent phase, before the later national war. The movement survived repeated campaigns by the Yemeni state and consolidated local influence in Sa'ada, with leadership passing to Abdulmalik al-Houthi after Hussein Badredden al-Houthi's death.

The 2011 uprising and the failure of Yemen's transition created the political opening for wider Houthi expansion. By September 2014, Houthi-aligned forces had entered Sana'a; in early 2015, the movement's advances and unilateral political steps preceded the Saudi-led intervention. UN Security Council Resolution 2216 framed the crisis around Houthi withdrawals, relinquishing arms seized from military and security institutions, and targeted sanctions.

After the wartime alliance with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh broke down in 2017, Houthi authorities consolidated control in the northwestern heartland and Houthi-held institutions. Later conflict phases shifted from large front-line advances toward missile and UAV attacks, border fighting, internal governance pressure, and Red Sea maritime operations.

Legacy Stocks, Improvisation, and Local Adaptation

Existing linked records show a ground-war inventory rooted in Yemeni state stocks and battlefield capture: Kalashnikov-pattern rifles, DShK and PKM-family machine guns, mortars, D-30 and D-20 artillery, BM-21 Grad launchers, T-54/T-55, T-62, T-72, BTR-family vehicles, technicals, mines, IEDs, and older air-defense weapons. That mix matches a force that gained access to national arsenals while continuing to fight as an irregular and semi-conventional actor.

Improvisation is a recurring pattern. Technicals, remote-controlled IEDs, waterborne explosive devices, field-modified armored vehicles, launcher conversions, and commercial UAV adaptations sit beside more conventional weapons. CAR reporting on Houthi UAVs supports a hybrid production picture: some local manufacture and assembly, but with more advanced electronics and components tied to foreign procurement networks.

The profile avoids treating displayed, claimed, or interdicted systems as automatically equivalent to confirmed battlefield use. Where weapon entries describe conflict use, those claims remain in the individual weapon records and their conflict-use sources.

Missile, UAV, and Maritime Strike Ecosystem

Missiles and UAVs define the side's long-range strike identity. CSIS analysis of the Yemen missile war covers Houthi ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, rockets, and UAVs used against Saudi, Emirati, and Yemeni targets. DIA and IISS sources connect several Houthi missile and UAV designs to Iranian-origin systems, while also leaving room for local assembly, modification, and rebranding.

The Red Sea crisis added a maritime layer. IISS describes Houthi attacks on ships from November 2023 onward as relying primarily on UAVs and missiles, with uncrewed surface vessels and other methods also present. UN Security Council Resolution 2722 condemned Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels, and U.S. and partner releases document subsequent strikes against launch, radar, UAV, missile, and command infrastructure in Houthi-controlled Yemen.

Public system identification remains uneven. Some records can name systems such as Samad-family UAVs, Quds-family cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles, or explosive USVs; other incidents are publicly reported only as missiles, drones, unmanned surface vessels, or coastal-defense weapons. Side-level prose therefore stays at the ecosystem level unless an existing weapon record already carries the system-specific conflict-use claim.

External Supply, Interdiction, and Sanctions Pressure

UN Panel of Experts reporting, U.S. government releases, CAR investigations, and sanctions actions document continuing concern over arms flows and dual-use components reaching Houthi-controlled Yemen. These sources support Iranian-linked transfers and components for some systems, but they do not turn every item in the Houthi-aligned inventory into a direct Iranian supply claim.

Procurement and logistics pressure extends beyond completed weapons. U.S. Treasury actions have targeted Houthi weapons-smuggling and procurement networks, including dual-use materials and components for missiles and UAVs, while later sanctions have focused on commodities, digital-asset facilitation, oil-product deliveries, vessels, and revenue channels tied to Houthi-controlled ports. CTC analysis also describes concealment and logistics practices involving commercial trucks, modified containers, fuel tankers, and urban assembly or storage.

The sanctions and interdiction record is valuable, but it is not neutral battlefield observation. Official U.S., coalition, and Houthi sources are conflict-party sources; UN and independent technical investigations help cross-check claims, especially when the claim concerns origin, transfer route, component lineage, or whether an item was seized before use.

Timeline of Equipment-Relevant Shifts
  1. Hussein Badredden al-Houthi killed

    The first Sa'ada war ended with Hussein al-Houthi's death, after which Abdulmalik al-Houthi became the movement's central leader in UN sanctions material.

  2. Houthi-aligned forces enter Sana'a

    The takeover of Yemen's capital opened access to state institutions, military sites, and weapons stocks that shaped later cataloged equipment.

  3. Saudi-led intervention begins

    The Yemen war widened after Houthi-aligned advances toward Aden and the internationally recognized government's request for external military support.

  4. Supreme Political Council announced

    Houthi and allied political structures created a de facto executive body in Sana'a, later central to governance claims in Houthi-held areas.

  5. Saleh alliance collapses

    Ali Abdullah Saleh's death followed the breakdown of his alliance with the Houthis and enabled tighter Houthi consolidation over northern institutions.

  6. UN-mediated truce reduces major Yemen front-line fighting

    The truce lowered the tempo of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and major ground offensives while leaving conflict lines and Houthi control unresolved.

  7. Galaxy Leader hijacking opens the Red Sea phase

    The Red Sea crisis shifted public equipment attention toward Houthi maritime, missile, UAV, and coastal strike systems.

  8. UN Security Council condemns Red Sea attacks

    Resolution 2722 condemned Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and linked the Yemen conflict to wider maritime-security operations.

Houthi-aligned forces Context
Umbrella Boundary

Houthi-aligned forces covers Ansar Allah and forces operating under or alongside Houthi control; it is not a claim that every linked incident involved the same unit, ministry, or chain of command.

Arms-Origin Boundary

Captured Yemeni stockpiles, local fabrication, foreign components, interdicted shipments, and Iranian-linked transfers all appear in the evidence base, but each origin claim depends on the specific source and system.

Sources

This side grouping spans Ansar Allah, de facto Houthi-controlled institutions, former state-force elements, local allies, maritime cells, and captured Yemeni stockpiles. Public evidence is uneven: weapon links are side associations from conflict-use records, not proof that every system was centrally commanded or fired by the same unit. Arms-origin and production claims stay source-dependent because UN, CAR, CSIS, IISS, DIA, Treasury, and conflict-party sources distinguish direct use, display, interdiction, component lineage, claimed local production, and pre-war Yemeni stockpiles with varying precision.

  • CFR Yemen and Red Sea TrackerPublisher: Council on Foreign Relations | Note: Supports broad Yemen war chronology, Houthi-aligned side context, Red Sea spillover, and external involvement. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CRS Yemen: In BriefPublisher: Congressional Research Service via EveryCRSReport | Note: Supports current Yemen division, Ansar Allah control of Sana'a and much of western Yemen, Red Sea disruption, Iran-support caveats, and 2026 context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • NCTC Huthi Movement ProfilePublisher: National Counterterrorism Center | Note: Supports alias handling for Huthi Movement, Ansarallah, and Houthis, plus high-level political-military characterization. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Designation of Ansar Allah as a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationPublisher: The White House | Note: Supports official U.S. usage of Ansar Allah as the name and Houthis as an alias. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • UN Sanctions Narrative Summary: Abdulmalik al-HouthiPublisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Supports Abdulmalik al-Houthi's leadership role and succession after Hussein Badredden al-Houthi. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Consolidation through Crackdown: Understanding Houthi Rule in YemenPublisher: Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University | Note: Supports Houthi governance history, Sana'a takeover context, Supreme Political Council framing, and de facto institutional control. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Treasury Targets Houthi LeadersPublisher: U.S. Department of the Treasury | Note: Supports Mahdi al-Mashat as chairman of the Houthi-aligned Supreme Political Council and the council's political-messaging role. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Entrenched Power: The Houthi System of GovernancePublisher: Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports the Houthi supervisor system, informal authority over formal offices, and Abdulmalik-linked hierarchy. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • The Houthi Supervisory SystemPublisher: ACAPS Yemen Analysis Hub | Note: Supports the supervisor network as a shadow governance structure connecting the Houthi inner circle to local administration. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Yemen's Huthi Movement in the Wake of the Arab SpringPublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports early movement history, the Ansar Allah name, Sa'ada roots, and Hussein al-Houthi-era origins. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CTC: The Houthi War MachinePublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports the transition from insurgent movement to state-capture actor, absorbed arsenals, and military-industrial adaptation. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • UN Security Council Resolution 2216Publisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Supports the 2015 Security Council framing, arms seized from military and security institutions, demands on the Houthis, and sanctions context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • OSESGY Truce AgreementPublisher: Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen | Note: Supports the April 2022 UN-mediated truce and reduced offensive operations context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • UN Security Council Resolution 2722Publisher: United Nations Digital Library | Note: Supports UN condemnation and Red Sea framing of Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • UN Yemen Panel of Experts ReportsPublisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Supports sanctions-reporting context and caveats around arms flows, embargo claims, interdictions, and attribution limits. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • The Missile War in YemenPublisher: CSIS Missile Defense Project | Note: Supports broad Houthi rocket, ballistic-missile, cruise-missile, UAV, and cross-border strike ecosystem context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Navigating Troubled WatersPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports Red Sea and Gulf of Aden missile, UAV, uncrewed-surface-vessel, maritime-smuggling, attack-tempo, and shipping-effects context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • IISS: Houthi Anti-Ship Missile SystemsPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports anti-ship missile inventory context and caveats around displayed systems, older stocks, and later Red Sea campaign systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • DIA Report on Houthi Iranian Missiles and UAVsPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: Supports U.S. government attribution that Houthi forces have employed Iranian-origin missiles and UAVs, with conflict-party-source caveat. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Iran: Enabling Houthi Attacks Across the Middle EastPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: Supports official U.S. comparison of Iranian and Houthi missile and UAV systems, component claims, and regional attack context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Seized At Sea: Iranian Weapons Smuggled to the HouthisPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: Supports interdiction and Iranian weapons/component smuggling context, with U.S. government attribution caveat. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CAR: Evolution of UAVs Employed by Houthi Forces in YemenPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports UAV-development caveats, including domestic component manufacture and foreign electronics procurement. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CAR: Maritime Interdictions of Weapon Supplies to Somalia and YemenPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports maritime interdiction and supply-chain caveats for weapons assessed as destined for Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Treasury Sanctions Houthi Weapons Smuggling and Procurement NetworksPublisher: U.S. Department of the Treasury | Note: Supports sanctions, dual-use material, missile and UAV component, Iran, and PRC procurement-network context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Treasury Sanctions Houthi Network Procuring Weapons and Commodities from RussiaPublisher: U.S. Department of the Treasury | Note: Supports sanctions, procurement-network, commodities, digital-asset, and financial-facilitation context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Treasury Targets Vessels Delivering Oil Derivatives to the HouthisPublisher: U.S. Department of the Treasury | Note: Supports oil-product deliveries, Houthi-controlled port revenue, Ras Isa logistics, and sanctions-risk context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Looking West: The Houthis' Expanding Footprint in the Horn of AfricaPublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports logistics and adaptation details involving commercial trucks, modified containers, fuel tankers, urban assembly, and concealment practices. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • MARAD Red Sea Hijacking AdvisoryPublisher: U.S. Maritime Administration | Note: Supports the November 19, 2023 M/V Galaxy Leader hijacking west of Hodeidah. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CENTCOM: U.S. Forces, Allies Conduct Joint StrikesPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Official conflict-party source for January 2024 strikes against Houthi launch, radar, UAV, missile, and command infrastructure. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • ACLED Yemen Conflict MethodologyPublisher: ACLED | Note: Supports actor-complexity and source-limit caveats for Yemen conflict data. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
Aircraft & UAVs

Category

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

12/12
One-way attack UAV, Expendable strike UAV / loitering munition class, Aircraft & UAVs2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +6 moreOne-way attack UAVExpendable strike UAV / loitering munition classBuilt: Various state and non-state manufacturers / VariousOne-way attack UAVs are expendable unmanned aircraft built or adapted to carry an explosive payload to a target and be consumed in the attack. This class-level entry covers cases where sources document one-way attack drones, kamikaze drones, or disposable explosive UAVs in conflict but do not identify a single named model suitable for a more specific catalog record.
Qasef-1 loitering munition / UAV, Loitering munition / UAV, Aircraft & UAVs2014 Yemen Civil WarQasef-1 loitering munition / UAVLoitering munition / UAVBuilt: Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) / IranThe Qasef-1 is an Iranian-linked, Houthi-operated loitering munition/UAV in the Ababil-T or Ababil-II design family. Conflict Armament Research documented recovered and intercepted examples in Yemen, tied the type to attacks on Saudi-led coalition Patriot radar sets, and later distinguished imported production-line airframes from a hybrid example that suggested growing local assembly capacity.
Shahed-136, Long-range one-way attack UAV, Aircraft & UAVs2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2020 United States-Iran Conflict +2 moreShahed-136Long-range one-way attack UAVBuilt: Shahed Aviation Industries / HESA / IranThe Shahed-136 is an Iranian long-range one-way attack UAV built around a low-cost delta-wing airframe, satellite/inertial navigation, and a piston pusher engine. Russia fields the type as Geran-2 in Ukraine, the Houthis use the Waid-2 designation in the Red Sea, and Iran has used Shahed-series salvos in direct regional conflicts to saturate air defenses and strike fixed targets.
Mi-8/Mi-17, Medium twin-turbine utility transport helicopter, Aircraft & UAVs2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +6 moreMi-8/Mi-17Medium twin-turbine utility transport helicopterBuilt: Kazan Helicopters / Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant / RussiaThe Mi-8/Mi-17 is a Soviet-designed medium utility helicopter family used for troop lift, cargo transport, evacuation, search-and-rescue, electronic-warfare, armed support, and helicopter-borne boarding roles. Its large production run, 4,000 kg payload class, current Mi-8AMT/Mi-8MTV-1/Mi-171/Mi-172 production branches, and wide export base make it a recurring rotary-wing platform across conflicts from Afghanistan and Syria to Ukraine and the Red Sea crisis.
Samad-2 UAV, Reconnaissance and loitering munition UAV, Aircraft & UAVs2014 Yemen Civil WarSamad-2 UAVReconnaissance and loitering munition UAVBuilt: Houthi movement / YemenThe 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.
Shahed-101, Small one-way attack UAV / loitering munition, Aircraft & UAVs2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict +1 moreShahed-101Small one-way attack UAV / loitering munitionBuilt: Shahed Aviation Industries / IranThe Shahed-101 is a smaller Iranian one-way attack UAV in the wider Shahed loitering-munition family, publicly documented through recovered Iraqi material, Hezbollah launches toward Israel, Houthi use in Yemen, and Russian fielding against Ukraine. Open sources describe piston and electric-motor configurations, a compact warhead, satellite/inertial navigation, and a battlefield-to-mid-range strike role below the larger Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 classes. June 2025 Israel-Iran debris records identify a Shahed-101/107 series, but do not isolate the Shahed-101 submodel.
RQ-11 Raven UAV, Small unmanned aircraft system, Aircraft & UAVs2001 War in Afghanistan, 2003 Iraq War +3 moreRQ-11 Raven UAVSmall unmanned aircraft systemBuilt: AeroVironment / United StatesThe RQ-11 Raven is a hand-launched AeroVironment small unmanned aircraft system for tactical ISR, derived from earlier Pointer-related work into a smaller backpackable design. The RQ-11A designation covered the early Raven air vehicle, while the RQ-11B/Raven B became the Army-selected upgraded SUAV with improved control-system, sensor, endurance, targeting, and interoperability features. Current AeroVironment material describes Raven B as a lightweight Group 1 system with a stabilized EO/IR payload, 10 km range, and more than 75 minutes of endurance, while 2023 U.S. Army reporting still described upgraded Ravens in training for reconnaissance and call-for-fire support.
Air Defense

Category

Systems that contest aircraft, missiles, helicopters, and drones.

14/14
2A14 23 mm cannon, 23 mm gas-operated autocannon, Air Defense2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +4 more2A14 23 mm cannon23 mm gas-operated autocannonBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Tulamashzavod / Soviet Union / RussiaThe 2A14 is the air-cooled 23 x 152B mm autocannon at the core of ZU-23 and ZU-23-2 short-range air-defense guns, with a quick-change barrel and a belt-feed layout that can be arranged from either side. Public conflict evidence most often documents it through the mounts that carry it: ZU-23-2 guns in Ukrainian service, SPLA-N air-defense fire in South Kordofan, Armenian and Artsakh losses in Nagorno-Karabakh, Houthi firing around Hudaydah, Tigray Defence Forces heavy weapons, and 2A14-pattern or ZU-23-2-pattern weapons with rebel forces in northern Mali.
S-75 Dvina / SA-2 Guideline, High-altitude surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense1955 Vietnam War, 1967 Six-Day War +3 moreS-75 Dvina / SA-2 GuidelineHigh-altitude surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: Soviet state defense industry / Soviet UnionThe S-75 Dvina, known to NATO as the SA-2 Guideline, is a Soviet command-guided surface-to-air missile system built around V-750/V-755 missiles, single-rail launchers, Spoon Rest acquisition radar, and Fan Song guidance radar. It became a defining Cold War high-altitude air-defense system in Vietnam and Arab-Israeli wars, where fixed SAM sites shaped strike planning and suppression tactics. In Yemen, surviving S-75 missile stocks reappeared less as intact air-defense batteries than as source missiles for Houthi-aligned Qaher and Muhit strike conversions.
Saqr / Project 358 surface-to-air missile, Loitering surface-to-air missile, Air Defense2014 Yemen Civil WarSaqr / Project 358 surface-to-air missileLoitering surface-to-air missileBuilt: Iranian defense industry / IranThe Saqr, commonly identified as Project 358 or the 358 missile, is an Iranian-designed loitering surface-to-air missile associated with Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen. It differs from conventional short-range SAMs by boosting into flight, cruising while searching for slower aerial targets, and using a compact air-breathing engine, making it a notable counter-UAV and helicopter threat in the 2014 Yemen Civil War.
Misagh-1 MANPADS, Man-portable infrared-guided surface-to-air missile, Air Defense2003 Iraq War, 2014 Yemen Civil WarMisagh-1 MANPADSMan-portable infrared-guided surface-to-air missileBuilt: Shahid Kazemi Industrial Complex / IranThe Misagh-1 is an Iranian shoulder-fired, infrared-guided surface-to-air missile in the Chinese QW-1 design line. Open-source evidence outside Iran is strongest for reported 2003 Iraq War insurgent possession and Houthi QW-1-pattern display evidence in Yemen, but both lanes require care because Misagh-1, QW-1, and closely related patterns can be difficult to distinguish from imagery alone.
Misagh-2 MANPADS, Man-portable infrared-guided surface-to-air missile, Air Defense2014 Yemen Civil WarMisagh-2 MANPADSMan-portable infrared-guided surface-to-air missileBuilt: Shahid Kazemi Industrial Complex / IranThe Misagh-2 is an Iranian shoulder-fired, infrared-guided MANPADS linked by open sources to the Chinese QW-series design line and Iran's domestic QW-18-pattern assembly. Specialist reporting and arms-proliferation research identify Misagh-2 or QW-18-pattern systems in Houthi-aligned possession during the 2014 Yemen Civil War, giving small units a portable short-range threat to helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles, and other low-flying aircraft.
S-125 Neva/Pechora / SA-3 Goa, Short- to medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense1969 War of Attrition, 1973 Yom Kippur War +8 moreS-125 Neva/Pechora / SA-3 GoaShort- to medium-range surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: Almaz Central Design Bureau / Soviet UnionThe S-125 Neva/Pechora, known to NATO as SA-3 Goa, is a Soviet command-guided surface-to-air missile system built to cover lower-altitude targets than earlier S-75 batteries. The family combines 5V24/V-600 or 5V27/V-601 missiles, SNR-125 Low Blow engagement radar, and twin- or four-rail launchers, with later Pechora upgrades adding mobile chassis, digital electronics, and optical tracking. Cataloged use spans Egyptian and Iraqi air-defense service, Yugoslav S-125 combat in Operation Allied Force, Syrian and Houthi-aligned legacy sites, Azerbaijani Pechora-2TM use, Ukrainian Newa-SC service, and Indian Pechora employment during Operation Sindoor.
M167 Vulcan, Towed 20 mm short-range anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense1990 Gulf War, 2014 Yemen Civil WarM167 VulcanTowed 20 mm short-range anti-aircraft gunBuilt: U.S. Army Weapons Command / General Electric / United StatesThe M167 Vulcan is a U.S.-origin towed short-range air-defense gun built around the 20 mm M168 six-barrel rotary cannon, a carriage-mounted adaptation of the Vulcan family for close-in defense against aircraft and ground targets. U.S. records place M-167 guns with coalition forces during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, while Yemen imagery shows Houthi forces using captured guns on improvised vehicle mounts as mobile direct-fire weapons.
61-K 37 mm anti-aircraft gun, Towed 37 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense1941 Battle of Moscow, 2014 Yemen Civil War61-K 37 mm anti-aircraft gunTowed 37 mm automatic anti-aircraft gunBuilt: Plant No. 8 / Soviet UnionThe 61-K is the Soviet 37 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun developed from the late-1930s 49-K lineage and fielded as a mobile, clip-fed short-range air-defense weapon. It became one of the Red Army's standard light anti-aircraft guns, saw documented Soviet use around Moscow in 1941, was widely copied abroad, and remained visible in legacy arsenals such as Yemen's inherited air-defense inventory.
100 mm KS-19 anti-aircraft gun, Towed 100 mm anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +3 more100 mm KS-19 anti-aircraft gunTowed 100 mm anti-aircraft gunBuilt: Plant No. 4 Perm / Soviet state arsenals, including Plant No. 8 and Plant No. 235 / Soviet UnionThe KS-19 is a Soviet 100 mm towed anti-aircraft gun designed for high-altitude, radar-directed air defense with fixed ammunition, a powered carriage, and PUAZO/SON-9 fire-control support. U.S. studies tied the gun to North Vietnam's heavy AAA network and Iraqi inventories retained it into the 1990 Gulf War, while later conflict records show legacy KS-19s displayed in Houthi air-defense equipment and repurposed as long-range ground-fire weapons in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine.
ZU-23-2, Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannon, Air Defense2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +3 moreZU-23-2Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannonBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Russia / Bulgaria / Poland / Egypt / ChinaThe ZU-23-2 is a Soviet twin 23 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannon built around two 2A14 guns on a light carriage. Its manual sighting, rapid emplacement, and high volume of fire make it a close-range air-defense weapon against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and drones, while many operators also use it for direct fire against light vehicles and infantry positions. Ukrainian forces have used ZU-23-2 guns in mobile and positional air-defense teams during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, Armenian-side losses in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting included towed and vehicle-mounted ZU-23 guns, and conflict monitors documented ZU-23 or ZU-23-2-pattern use in Yemen, Tigray, and northern Mali.
GDF-001 / GDF-002 anti-aircraft gun, Towed twin 35 mm anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense2014 Yemen Civil WarGDF-001 / GDF-002 anti-aircraft gunTowed twin 35 mm anti-aircraft gunBuilt: Oerlikon Contraves / SwitzerlandThe GDF-001 and GDF-002 are early Oerlikon GDF twin 35 mm towed anti-aircraft guns. Weaponsystems says the family entered service in 1963, and from the GDF-002 onward it added a Ferranti GSR sight and digital data-bus linkage for Skyguard fire control. In Yemen, open-source documentation places GDF-001/GDF-002 guns in the pre-war Yemeni Army inventory and available to Yemeni battlefield parties after the Houthi takeover, but does not support a precise engagement or shootdown claim.
2K12 Kub / Kvadrat / SA-6 Gainful, Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense1973 Yom Kippur War, 2014 Russia-Ukraine War +4 more2K12 Kub / Kvadrat / SA-6 GainfulTracked medium-range surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: NIIP / Vympel / Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant / Soviet state arsenals / Soviet UnionThe 2K12 Kub, exported as Kvadrat and known to NATO as SA-6 Gainful, is a Soviet tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system built around 3M9 missiles, 2P25 launch vehicles, and the 1S91 Straight Flush radar. Its conflict record spans the 1973 Yom Kippur War, where Egyptian and Syrian SA-6 batteries became a central air-defense problem for Israeli aviation, and later legacy use or transfer in Ukraine, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Libya, and Yemen.
ZSU-23-4 Shilka, Tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense1973 Yom Kippur War, 1990 Gulf War +5 moreZSU-23-4 ShilkaTracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gunBuilt: Mytishchi Machine-Building Plant / Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant / Soviet UnionThe ZSU-23-4 Shilka is a Soviet tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun built around a radar-directed turret with four 23 mm autocannons. Designed to accompany maneuver forces against low-flying aircraft and helicopters, it became a widely exported low-altitude air-defense system and remains visible in modern wars as both a short-range air-defense and direct-fire platform.
9K31 Strela-1, Vehicle-mounted short-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense1975 Western Sahara War, 1990 Gulf War +2 more9K31 Strela-1Vehicle-mounted short-range surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: Soviet state arsenals / Nudelman OKB-16 / Saratov Aggregate Plant / Soviet UnionThe 9K31 Strela-1, NATO reporting name SA-9 Gaskin, is a Soviet BRDM-2-based short-range surface-to-air missile system armed with four ready-to-fire 9M31 or 9M31M missiles. Developed as a regimental low-altitude air-defense vehicle for motor-rifle and tank units, it combined an amphibious armored chassis with optical/infrared missile engagement at short ranges. Open sources document it in several conflict inventories, including Polisario systems supplied by Libya, Iraqi Gulf War air defenses, Chechen inherited stocks, and Houthi-aligned holdings in Yemen; those rows indicate fielding or possession, not necessarily a sourced launch or shootdown.
Armored Vehicles

Category

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

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Qutaish-2 armored vehicle, 4x4 armored protected vehicle, Armored Vehicles2014 Yemen Civil WarQutaish-2 armored vehicle4x4 armored protected vehicleBuilt: Yemeni Armed Forces Military Industrialization Authority / YemenThe 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.
Oshkosh M-ATV, 4x4 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, Armored Vehicles2001 War in Afghanistan, 2014 War Against the Islamic State +2 moreOshkosh M-ATV4x4 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicleBuilt: Oshkosh Defense / United StatesThe Oshkosh M-ATV is a U.S.-built 4x4 MRAP developed to give troops mine and ambush protection with better off-road mobility than heavier first-generation MRAPs. Oshkosh paired a V-hull protected capsule, blast-attenuating seats, and TAK-4 independent suspension with mission modules ranging from command and utility bodies to armed assault configurations. The vehicle's documented conflict record spans early U.S. fielding in Afghanistan, coalition use in Iraq and Syria under Operation Inherent Resolve, Ukrainian wartime service, and Saudi-led coalition employment in Yemen.
BMR-600 Pegaso, 6x6 wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles2001 War in Afghanistan, 2003 Iraq War +2 moreBMR-600 Pegaso6x6 wheeled armored personnel carrierBuilt: General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemas / SpainThe BMR-600 Pegaso is a Spanish 6x6 armored personnel carrier family developed from the ENASA-Pegaso program and later supported through Santa Barbara and General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemas. It gives the catalog a Spanish wheeled-armor reference point: a troop carrier with amphibious capability, mortar, command, ambulance, recovery, anti-tank, and reconnaissance derivatives, and direct conflict evidence from Spanish deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, Spanish-supplied variants in Ukraine, and Saudi-led coalition use and losses in Yemen.
BTR-60, 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles1979 Soviet-Afghan War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +3 moreBTR-608x8 amphibious armored personnel carrierBuilt: Gorky Automobile Plant / Soviet UnionThe BTR-60 is a Soviet eight-wheeled amphibious armored personnel carrier that introduced the long-running BTR 8x8 layout later followed by the BTR-70 and BTR-80. Its BTR-60PB turreted model gave motorized troops a 14.5 mm KPVT/7.62 mm PKT armament fit, but retained thin armor and top-hatch dismounting that drove later redesigns and modernization programs.
BTR-80, 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles1994 First Chechen War, 1999 Second Chechen War +7 moreBTR-808x8 amphibious armored personnel carrierBuilt: Arzamas Machine-Building Plant / RussiaThe BTR-80 is a Soviet-designed 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier built to move motor rifle troops under armor while giving them heavy machine-gun fire support. Rosoboronexport describes it as a combat wheeled vehicle for transporting motor rifle units, and the type remains widespread across former Soviet and export operators more than four decades after introduction.
BRDM-2, Amphibious armored scout car, Armored Vehicles2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +1 moreBRDM-2Amphibious armored scout carBuilt: Gorky Automobile Plant / Arzamas Machine-Building Plant / Soviet UnionThe BRDM-2 is a Soviet amphibious armored scout car built for reconnaissance, patrol, liaison, and specialist battlefield-support tasks. Its family includes radiological and chemical reconnaissance versions such as BRDM-2RKh and BRDM-2RKhb, which add contamination-detection and marking equipment to the scout-car chassis. Oryx loss records keep both base and chemical reconnaissance variants visible in the Russia-Ukraine War, while older export fleets appear in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yemen, and other post-Soviet or Soviet-supplied conflicts despite the vehicle's light armor.
Badger ILAV, Cougar-derived 4x4 mine-resistant armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles2014 Yemen Civil WarBadger ILAVCougar-derived 4x4 mine-resistant armored personnel carrierBuilt: BAE Systems Land and Armaments L.P. / Force Protection Industries / Spartan Chassis / United StatesThe Badger ILAV is the Iraqi/International Light Armored Vehicle, a Cougar-derived 4x4 MRAP built through the BAE Systems, Force Protection, and Spartan Chassis production team for protected troop movement, route clearance, and EOD support. Open-source evidence places at least one Badger in Houthi-controlled Sanaa during the 2014 Yemen Civil War, while U.S. and industry sources document the larger Iraq and Yemen ILAV procurement background.
Jalal 3 armored vehicle, Light 4x4 armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles2014 Yemen Civil WarJalal 3 armored vehicleLight 4x4 armored personnel carrierBuilt: Yemeni defense industry / YemenThe 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.
HMMWV, Light tactical wheeled vehicle, Armored Vehicles2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2001 War in Afghanistan +4 moreHMMWVLight tactical wheeled vehicleBuilt: AM General / United StatesThe High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, better known as the HMMWV or Humvee, is an AM General 4x4 light tactical vehicle family used for troop movement, command, ambulance, cargo, air-defense, and weapons-carrier roles. Its conflict record spans coalition service in Afghanistan and Iraq, Yemeni M1097A2 stocks, and large-scale U.S. assistance to Ukraine, including up-armored HMMWV-UA/UAH designations.
BTR-40M armored personnel carrier, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles2014 Yemen Civil WarBTR-40M armored personnel carrierWheeled armored personnel carrierBuilt: Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) / Soviet UnionThe BTR-40M is a Yemeni-listed BTR-40-family armored personnel carrier, traced here to the Soviet GAZ-built 4x4 BTR-40 line rather than to a clearly defined factory variant. In the 2014 Yemen Civil War record it appears as legacy Yemeni Army armor: useful for light protected mobility and local transport, but documented in open sources with limited detail on modification standard, armament, units, or engagements.
Artillery

Category

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

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120-PM-38, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War120-PM-38120 mm towed heavy mortarBuilt: Plant No. 92 Nizhny Novgorod / Soviet UnionThe 120-PM-38, also known as the M1938, is a Soviet 120 mm smoothbore heavy mortar designed under B. I. Shavyrin and built for infantry fire support. Its large bomb, two-wheel transport arrangement, and roughly 5.7 km range made it a durable regimental mortar design; OSCE monitoring documented PM-38 mortars in Donbas heavy-weapons holding and storage records during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, while Oryx listed M-1938 heavy mortars in Yemen's pre-war army inventory.
BM-21 Grad, 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery2012 Mali War, 2014 Second Libyan Civil War +11 moreBM-21 Grad122 mm multiple rocket launcherBuilt: Motovilikha Plants / Soviet defense industry / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BM-21 Grad is a Soviet 122 mm multiple rocket launcher built around a 40-tube launcher on a wheeled truck chassis. In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War it remains a common area-fire system on both sides, valued for rapid salvos and mobility but dependent on shoot-and-scoot tactics because the launcher is carried on an unarmored truck.
D-30 122 mm howitzer, 122 mm towed howitzer, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2001 War in Afghanistan +9 moreD-30 122 mm howitzer122 mm towed howitzerBuilt: Artillery Plant No. 9 / Soviet Union / RussiaThe D-30, also known as the 2A18, M1963, or Frog, is a Soviet 122 mm towed howitzer designed by OKB-9 under F. F. Petrov and built at Plant No. 9 in Yekaterinburg. Its three-trail carriage gives 360-degree traverse, and official U.S. Army support material describes the gun as still manufactured internationally and fielded by more than 60 countries' armed forces.
D-20, 152 mm towed gun-howitzer, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +2 moreD-20152 mm towed gun-howitzerBuilt: No. 9 Uralmash Plant / Soviet Union / China / RomaniaThe D-20 is a Soviet 152 mm towed gun-howitzer developed under F. F. Petrov's Plant No. 9 design bureau for divisional and army-level fire support. Its split-trail carriage, 34-caliber ordnance, double-baffle muzzle brake, and 17.4 km standard range kept it useful across Soviet, Warsaw Pact, Chinese Type 66, Romanian, and export inventories, with documented modern use in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Yemen, and Iraq.
M114 155 mm Howitzer, 155 mm towed field howitzer, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 1955 Vietnam War +1 moreM114 155 mm Howitzer155 mm towed field howitzerBuilt: Rock Island Arsenal / United StatesThe M114 is a U.S.-origin 155 mm towed howitzer first fielded as the M1 during World War II and later redesignated M114. Official U.S. Army history identifies it as the standard 155 mm howitzer of the Korean and Vietnam wars, while recent catalog evidence centers on legacy stocks reappearing with Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen and Ukrainian forces during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
BM-27 Uragan, 220 mm self-propelled multiple launch rocket system, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +3 moreBM-27 Uragan220 mm self-propelled multiple launch rocket systemBuilt: NPO Splav / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BM-27 Uragan is the Soviet 9K57 220 mm multiple launch rocket system, built around the 16-tube 9P140 launcher and 9T452 transporter-loader on ZIL-135LM-family wheeled chassis. Its rocket family gives heavier payloads than BM-21 Grad-class systems, including high-explosive fragmentation, cluster, incendiary, fuel-air explosive, and mine-scattering rounds. Documented use spans Russia-Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, with the system still relevant through Ukrainian overhaul work and Bureviy modernization.
Ballistic missile, Ballistic missile, Artillery1980 Iran-Iraq War, 1990 Gulf War +8 moreBallistic missileBallistic missileBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesBallistic missiles are rocket-propelled weapons that accelerate during boost, then place a payload on a mostly unpowered ballistic path through midcourse and terminal flight. The class spans short-range battlefield missiles, submarine-launched systems, and intercontinental weapons; in recent cataloged conflicts, open sources document Iranian and Houthi use when strike reports identify broad ballistic-missile salvos but not always a single missile model.
Sakr-6 multiple rocket launcher, Light 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery2014 Yemen Civil WarSakr-6 multiple rocket launcherLight 122 mm multiple rocket launcherBuilt: SAKR Factory for Developed Industries / EgyptThe Sakr-6 is a light six-tube 122 mm multiple rocket launcher associated with Egypt's Sakr/Grad-compatible rocket-artillery family. Oryx lists the type in both pre-war Yemeni Army inventories and later Houthi-held Yemen Civil War equipment, while technical sources support only family-level details for compatible Sakr and Russian-pattern Grad rockets rather than a complete Sakr-6 datasheet or a verified Sakr-6 firing incident.
60 mm mortar, Light infantry mortar, Artillery1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict, 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict +1 more60 mm mortarLight infantry mortarBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesThe 60 mm mortar is a portable light-infantry indirect-fire class used for close support where crews need high-angle fire from a weapon lighter than larger battalion mortars. The caliber family spans many national models: direct conflict sourcing documents PKK 60 mm mortar use and recovered ammunition in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, disputed Thai 60 mm mortar fire claims in the 2025 Thailand-Cambodia border fighting, and Yemen-linked interdiction of 60 mm mortar tubes assessed by the United States as intended for Houthi forces rather than confirmed battlefield firing.
Mortar launcher, 82mm, Portable smoothbore mortar launcher, Artillery2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2012 Mali War +2 moreMortar launcher, 82mmPortable smoothbore mortar launcherBuilt: Various manufacturers / Burevestnik / Multiple countriesThis entry covers the 82 mm mortar-launcher caliber class rather than a single factory model, spanning Soviet-pattern BM/PM designs, later 2B14/2B24 systems, and national derivatives. Direct conflict-use sources tie 82 mm launcher or mortar-system evidence to Boko Haram/ISWAP materiel in the Lake Chad basin, rebel footage in Mali, Iraqi forces around Mosul, and Houthi fire-support reporting in Yemen.
Tochka-U, Road-mobile tactical ballistic missile system, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +5 moreTochka-URoad-mobile tactical ballistic missile systemBuilt: Kolomna Machine Building Design Bureau (KBM) / Soviet Union / RussiaTochka-U is the upgraded 9K79-1/OTR-21 short-range tactical ballistic missile system, carried on a wheeled transporter-erector-launcher and designed for battlefield strikes with high-explosive or cluster warheads. Its public combat record spans post-Soviet, Middle Eastern, and South Caucasus wars, from Russian use in Chechnya and Georgia to Houthi launches in Yemen and documented Russian and Ukrainian Tochka-U use in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Qaher-1 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Artillery2014 Yemen Civil WarQaher-1 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBuilt: Houthi movement / Missile Research and Development Center (MRDC) / YemenQaher-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, Artillery2014 Yemen Civil WarQaher-M2 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBuilt: Houthi movement / Missile Research and Development Center (MRDC) / YemenQaher-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.
MT-12 Rapira, Towed 100 mm smoothbore anti-tank gun, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +2 moreMT-12 RapiraTowed 100 mm smoothbore anti-tank gunBuilt: Yurga Machine-Building Plant / Soviet UnionThe MT-12 Rapira is the Soviet 2A29 modernization of the T-12 family, a 100 mm smoothbore towed anti-tank gun designed in the late 1960s by Viktor Afanasiev at the Yurga plant. Entering service in 1970, its redesigned carriage, MT-LB towing arrangement, 9M117 Kastet guided-round option, and later MT-12R Ruta radar fire-control path kept the legacy gun useful for direct fire, indirect fire, and point anti-armor defense.
Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Towed 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery2001 War in Afghanistan, 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency +2 moreType 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcherTowed 107 mm multiple rocket launcherBuilt: Factory 847 / NORINCO and licensed or derivative producers / ChinaThe Type 63 is a Chinese 12-tube 107 mm multiple rocket launcher designed for simple short-range area fire from a light split-trail carriage, truck mount, or derivative launcher. Developed by State Factory 847 and introduced with the PLA in 1963, the system became widely exported and copied; source-backed conflict records now show Taliban Type 63-family launcher use in Afghanistan, Boko Haram capture of a launcher in Niger, Russian Type-63 systems in Ukraine, and Houthi-aligned stocks in Yemen.
ATS-59-122, Yemeni 122 mm tracked self-propelled artillery conversion, Artillery2014 Yemen Civil WarATS-59-122Yemeni 122 mm tracked self-propelled artillery conversionBuilt: Unknown / KMZ / Kurgan / Bumar-Labedy / Yemen / Soviet Union / PolandThe 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.
Infantry Weapons

Category

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

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PGW Timberwolf, .338 Lapua Magnum bolt-action sniper rifle, Infantry Weapons2014 Yemen Civil WarPGW Timberwolf.338 Lapua Magnum bolt-action sniper rifleBuilt: PGW Defence Technologies / CanadaThe PGW Timberwolf, known in Canadian service as the C14 Medium Range Sniper Weapon System, is a Canadian .338 Lapua Magnum bolt-action rifle built for long-range precision fire. Canada ordered the 8.6 mm system from PGW in 2005 to replace the C3A1, and later announced C21 replacement rifles in 2022. The Yemen conflict record centers on imagery-based reporting of Timberwolf rifles with Houthi-aligned forces and Yemeni government or proxy forces.
PKM/PK, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +8 morePKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunBuilt: Kovrov Mechanical Plant / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union, Russia, and licensed-production countriesThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, remote weapon stations, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide licensed-production base make the family a recurring infantry fire-support weapon in recent conflicts, with documented rows here covering Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Lake Chad, Gaza, Afghanistan, and Turkey's conflict with the PKK.
AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry Weapons2023 Israel-Hamas War, 2014 Russia-Ukraine War +5 moreAKM7.62x39mm assault rifleBuilt: Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / licensed producersThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Adopted in 1959, it reduced production burden compared with earlier milled-receiver AK rifles and became a widely licensed baseline for later 7.62mm Kalashnikov-pattern weapons. CAR and ARES field documentation continues to place AKM and AKM-pattern rifles in modern conflict stocks, from Islamic State recoveries in Iraq and Syria to Taliban captures in Afghanistan.
Type 56-1 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm under-folding-stock assault rifle, Infantry Weapons2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2014 Yemen Civil WarType 56-1 assault rifle7.62x39mm under-folding-stock assault rifleBuilt: Chinese state arms factories / Norinco / ChinaThe Type 56-1 is the under-folding-stock member of China's Type 56 Kalashnikov-pattern rifle family, chambered for 7.62x39mm ammunition and built for compact carriage by infantry and irregular forces. Modern Firearms and museum records identify it as a Chinese Type 56-family rifle made by state arms factories and NORINCO, while field and interdiction reporting links Type 56-1 rifles to Boko Haram seizures in Niger and Iran-backed supply channels for Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen.
DShK, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2023 Israel-Hamas War +11 moreDShK12.7 mm heavy machine gunBuilt: Tula Ordnance Factory / Soviet state arsenals / Soviet UnionThe DShK is a Soviet 12.7 mm heavy machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and refined with Georgy Shpagin's belt-feed system. Built for anti-aircraft, anti-vehicle, and infantry support roles, the DShK/DShKM family spans Vietnam War helicopter defense, Soviet-Afghan War ambushes, modern technicals, and Ukrainian mobile counter-UAV teams using vintage heavy machine guns against slow Russian drones.
Type 77 heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons2014 Yemen Civil War, 2012 M23 RebellionType 77 heavy machine gun12.7 mm heavy machine gunBuilt: Hunan Ordnance Zijiang Machinery / ChinaThe Type 77 is a Chinese 12.7x108 mm heavy machine gun developed as a lighter crew-served replacement for the Type 54/DShK. Its Type 85 successor kept the anti-aircraft and ground-support role with improved handling, and the catalog treats Yemen and M23 evidence as Type 77-family use when sources name Type 77, Type 85, or W85 variants rather than a single confirmed model.
AM-50 Sayyad .50-caliber anti-materiel rifle, Anti-materiel rifle, Infantry Weapons2011 Syrian Civil War, 2013 War in Iraq +2 moreAM-50 Sayyad .50-caliber anti-materiel rifleAnti-materiel rifleBuilt: Defense Industries Organization (Individual Combat Industries Group) / IranThe AM-50 Sayyad is an Iranian 12.7x99 mm anti-materiel rifle derived from the Steyr HS .50 pattern after a mid-2000s HS .50 sale to Iran. It is a single-shot bolt-action weapon produced by DIO/ICIG and documented with Iraqi government forces, Syrian war militias, Houthi fighters in Yemen, and Hamas-linked fighters in Gaza.
PGW LRT-3, Bolt-action .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil WarPGW LRT-3Bolt-action .50 BMG anti-materiel rifleBuilt: PGW Defence Technologies / CanadaThe PGW LRT-3 is a Canadian bolt-action .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle built by PGW Defence Technologies for long-range precision fire against hard and soft targets. Sources link the rifle to Ukrainian sniper service in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War and to Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen through an ARES-documented battlefield-capture trail, rather than through a documented direct export to the Houthi movement.
OZM-72, Bounding antipersonnel fragmentation mine, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +3 moreOZM-72Bounding antipersonnel fragmentation mineBuilt: Factory 583 / Soviet state arsenals / Soviet Union / RussiaThe OZM-72 is a Soviet-designed bounding antipersonnel fragmentation mine that ejects upward before detonation and scatters fragments around the burst point. Human Rights Watch and Landmine Monitor reporting document the mine in modern clearance and conflict-use cases in Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh, making it a persistent explosive-ordnance hazard rather than only a Cold War stockpile item.
Instalaza C-90 / C90-CR, Disposable 90 mm shoulder-fired rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons2014 Yemen Civil War, 2014 Russia-Ukraine WarInstalaza C-90 / C90-CRDisposable 90 mm shoulder-fired rocket launcherBuilt: Instalaza S.A. / SpainThe Instalaza C-90 / C90-CR is a Spanish disposable 90 mm shoulder-fired rocket launcher family built around single-use tubes, integrated 2x optics, and mission-specific anti-tank, dual-purpose, smoke, and anti-bunker munitions. Open-source conflict records tie the system to captured C-90 series launchers in Yemen and to Spain's 2022 military aid for Ukraine, where C90 launchers were documented in Ukrainian hands.
RPG-26, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +1 moreRPG-26Disposable anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt: Bazalt / RussiaThe RPG-26 Aglen is a Soviet/Russian disposable 72.5 mm anti-tank rocket launcher developed at Soviet army request in 1980 and adopted around 1985. It uses a rigid fiberglass tube and a single PG-26 HEAT rocket, and open-source reporting has documented RPG-26 or RPG-26-family launchers in Ukraine, Syria, and Yemen while technical references tie the design to the earlier RPG-22, the larger RPG-27, and the thermobaric RShG-2.
RPG-27 Tavolga, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +1 moreRPG-27 TavolgaDisposable anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt: Bazalt / Soviet Union / RussiaThe RPG-27 Tavolga is a Soviet/Russian disposable 105 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built around a tandem HEAT warhead for defeating ERA-protected armor and field fortifications. It is heavier than earlier RPG-26-class disposable launchers but remains portable by one soldier, and open reporting has documented the launcher in Donbas attacks, Yemen arms-transfer seizures, and Mexico's 2015 Jalisco helicopter shootdown.
Landmine, Explosive ground mine, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2023 Israel-Hamas War +6 moreLandmineExplosive ground mineBuilt: Various manufacturers / MultipleLandmines are ground-emplaced explosive munitions triggered by a person's or vehicle's presence, proximity, or contact, with battlefield roles ranging from route denial and obstacle protection to remote minefield laying. This class page covers conventional anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, scatterable mines, directional fragmentation mines, and improvised victim-activated mines where sources directly document conflict use.
BGM-71 TOW, Heavy anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons1955 Vietnam War, 1990 Gulf War +7 moreBGM-71 TOWHeavy anti-tank guided missileBuilt: Hughes Aircraft Company / Raytheon / United StatesThe BGM-71 TOW is a U.S. heavy anti-tank guided missile built around tube launch, optical tracking, and command guidance through a wire or later radio-frequency link. Developed by Hughes and now produced and upgraded by Raytheon, the family spans dismounted launchers, HMMWVs, Bradley and Stryker vehicles, light armored vehicles, and helicopters. Its record runs from helicopter launches in the Vietnam War through Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Ukrainian service or transfer evidence.
Radio-controlled improvised explosive device, Improvised explosive device, Infantry Weapons2003 Iraq War, 2001 War in Afghanistan +1 moreRadio-controlled improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive deviceBuilt: Local fabrication by armed groups / VariousA radio-controlled improvised explosive device is an improvised bomb initiated by a radio or similar remote command link rather than direct victim contact. The type appears across insurgent roadside-bomb campaigns, with documented U.S. Army counter-RCIED responses in Iraq and Afghanistan and CAR reporting on Houthi-aligned RCIEDs recovered in Yemen.
9M133 Kornet, Laser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +7 more9M133 KornetLaser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile systemBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / RussiaThe 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable, vehicle-integrated, and self-propelled ATGM family, it appears in recent conflicts as a Russian-origin anti-armor weapon documented with state forces and non-state armed groups, including captured launchers and destroyed 9P163M-1 Kornet-T vehicles in Ukraine.
Dehlaviyeh anti-tank guided missile, Laser-guided anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons2014 Yemen Civil War, 2014 War Against the Islamic State +1 moreDehlaviyeh anti-tank guided missileLaser-guided anti-tank guided missileBuilt: Iranian defense industry / IranThe Dehlaviyeh, also transliterated Dehlavieh, is an Iranian laser-guided anti-armor missile family introduced through a Defense Ministry production line in July 2012 and derived from the Russian Kornet design lineage. Public conflict evidence ties Dehlavieh 9M133-type guided weapons to Popular Mobilization Unit militia arsenals in Iraq and to maritime interdictions of Dehlaviyeh-family launchers or missiles moving from Iran toward Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen, where the record supports transfer and supply-chain context rather than confirmed battlefield firing.
9K115 Metis, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +2 more9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Soviet Union / RussiaThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn used a lightweight launcher and 94 mm missile for short-range engagements, while the Metis-M and Metis-M1 upgrades moved to larger 130 mm missiles with tandem HEAT and thermobaric options. Its documented conflict use spans Russian and Ukrainian Metis-M fielding in Ukraine, Houthi use in Yemen, Syrian rebel use, and Hezbollah's anti-tank missile threat in the 2006 Lebanon War.
RPG-7, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2023 Israel-Hamas War +4 moreRPG-7Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt: Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Russia / China / Bulgaria / Iraq / Iran / Pakistan / Romania / EgyptThe RPG-7 is a Soviet-origin reusable shoulder-fired rocket launcher built around a simple 40 mm launch tube and a wide family of over-caliber anti-armor, fragmentation, and thermobaric rounds. Its low cost, portability, and large global stock make it a common infantry anti-armor and assault weapon, including documented Ukrainian service, Hamas use in Gaza, ISWAP use in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, and insurgent use in Afghanistan.
RPG-29, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons2003 Iraq War, 2006 Lebanon War +5 moreRPG-29Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt: Bazalt / Soviet Union / RussiaThe RPG-29 Vampir is a Soviet-designed, reusable 105 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built by Bazalt for tandem HEAT and thermobaric rockets. Rosoboronexport describes it as a multiple-shot launcher with a 500 m sighting range and a 300-round lifespan, while reference sources place it in Soviet-era development and 1989 service entry. Its conflict record is strongest in close-range anti-armor and fortification attack reporting, including Hezbollah use in Lebanon, insurgent attacks on coalition armor in Iraq, Free Syrian Army imagery in Syria, Hamas anti-armor forces in Gaza, Houthi fielding in Yemen, and documented appearances in Ukraine.
9M113 Konkurs, SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +4 more9M113 KonkursSACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missileBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Tula Arms Plant / Bharat Dynamics Limited / Soviet Union / Russia / IndiaThe 9M113 Konkurs, NATO reporting name AT-5 Spandrel, is a Soviet wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built for infantry launchers, BMP-series vehicle mounts, and the BRDM-2-based 9P148 carrier. Its SACLOS guidance, 135 mm missile body, and 4 km class engagement range kept the family useful after the Cold War, while the Konkurs-M modernization added tandem-HEAT and thermobaric options and remains in Russian export and Indian BDL production context.
AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons2016 Colombian FARC Dissident Conflict, 2022 Haitian Gang Conflict +12 moreAK-47/AKM rifle familySelective-fire assault rifle familyBuilt: Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Russia / China / multiple countriesAK-47/AKM-family rifles are Kalashnikov-pattern small arms derived from the Soviet AK-47 and 1959 AKM modernization, usually chambered in 7.62 x 39 mm. In the post-2015 catalog they appear with FARC dissidents in Colombia, gangs in Haiti, PKK fighters, GNA scouts in Libya, insurgents in Mali, Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, militants in Sinai, RSF units in Sudan, Hamas fighters in Gaza, Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, Boko Haram-linked militants in the Lake Chad basin, and Houthi-linked supply chains in Yemen.
Barrett M82A1 / M107, Semi-automatic .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle, Infantry Weapons2017 Battle of Marawi, 2014 Yemen Civil War +1 moreBarrett M82A1 / M107Semi-automatic .50 BMG anti-materiel rifleBuilt: Barrett Firearms Manufacturing / United StatesThe Barrett M82A1, adopted by the U.S. Army as the M107 and later developed into the lighter M107A1, is a recoil-operated semi-automatic .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle for long-range fire against equipment, light materiel, and protected positions. Its conflict record in this catalog is strongest where sources directly identify .50-caliber Barrett or M82A1 rifles: Maute-held sniper positions in Marawi, Houthi-aligned use in Yemen, and 400 Mawozo-linked gang arsenals in Haiti.
Hoshdar-M sniper rifle, SVD-pattern sniper and designated marksman rifle, Infantry Weapons2014 Yemen Civil WarHoshdar-M sniper rifleSVD-pattern sniper and designated marksman rifleBuilt: Defense Industries Organization / IranThe Hoshdar-M is an Iranian SVD-pattern sniper and designated marksman rifle, also associated in UN reporting with the Nakhjir name. Its 2014 Yemen Civil War relevance comes from the 20 March 2016 FS Provence interdiction, where investigators documented 64 rifles in a dhow shipment later identified by the UN as Iranian-produced SVD sniper rifles and linked to an Iran-to-Yemen supply route.
Toophan anti-tank guided missile, Tube-launched anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry Weapons2011 Syrian Civil War, 2013 War in Iraq +2 moreToophan anti-tank guided missileTube-launched anti-tank guided missile familyBuilt: Iranian defense industry / Aerospace Industries Organization / Iran Electronics Industries / IranThe Toophan is an Iranian anti-tank guided missile family derived from the BGM-71 TOW, with wire-guided baseline models and later top-attack, thermobaric, and laser-guided branches. Public reporting connects Toophan systems to Syrian-government-aligned militias, Iraqi Popular Mobilization Unit forces, Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen, and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon through fielded-system, interdiction, battlefield-recovery, and direct-use evidence.
Tosan anti-tank guided missile, Wire-guided SACLOS anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons2014 Yemen Civil War, 2006 Lebanon WarTosan anti-tank guided missileWire-guided SACLOS anti-tank guided missileBuilt: Aerospace Industries Organization / IranThe Tosan anti-tank guided missile is an Iranian wire-guided SACLOS anti-armor weapon in the 9M113 Konkurs lineage. Iran Press describes it as an Iranian reverse-engineered Konkurs-derived system used from ground and vehicle launchers, while Iran Watch links Tosan-1 production to the Aerospace Industries Organization. Conflict documentation ties Towsan-1 to Hezbollah's 2006 anti-armor inventory and Tosan missiles to Houthi-linked arms-flow and stockpile evidence in Yemen.
Munitions

Category

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

27/27
Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil WarAl-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy / ChinaAl-Mandab-1 is the Houthi designation for a Chinese C-801/YJ-8-family anti-ship cruise missile tied to pre-war Yemeni naval stocks. CSIS records Houthi C-801/802 use against ships near Yemen's coast and a November 2017 Houthi video using the al-Mandab-1 name, but the open-source record remains cautious about whether the displayed missile was a C-801 or visually similar C-802-family weapon.
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industry / Yemen / IranAl-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.
Anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions1982 Falklands War, 1980 Iran-Iraq War +4 moreAnti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesAnti-ship cruise missiles are guided standoff weapons built to attack warships and high-value surface vessels from aircraft, ships, submarines, and coastal launchers. The class is documented from Falklands War Exocet attacks and Tanker War maritime strikes to Ukrainian Neptune use in the Black Sea, Iraqi Silkworm launches in the 1990 Gulf War, Hezbollah's 2006 C-802 strike, and Houthi launches during the 2023 Red Sea Crisis.
C-801 anti-ship missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil WarC-801 anti-ship missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation / China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy / ChinaThe C-801 is the export designation of China's YJ-8 family, a solid-propellant, sea-skimming anti-ship missile built by CASIC's Third Academy. Open references place the surface-launched YJ-8/C-801 in 1987 service with a 42 km range and 165 kg warhead, while later YJ-81/C-801K and YJ-82 members carried the same short-range family into air- and submarine-launched roles. Yemen's pre-war C-801 stocks and the C-801/C-802 identification caveat make the missile relevant to Houthi anti-ship attacks in the 2014 Yemen Civil War.
C-802/Noor anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil WarC-802/Noor anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation / China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy / ChinaThe C-802/Noor is a Chinese-origin anti-ship cruise missile family built around the C-802 export design and Iran's Noor derivative. Open references also call it YJ-82, and the family spread into Chinese export, Iranian, and Pakistani service before reappearing in 2014 Yemen Civil War reporting against Red Sea shipping.
Ghader anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisGhader anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: Iranian defense industry / IranThe Ghader, also reported as Qader, is an Iranian C-802/Noor-derived anti-ship cruise missile with source-dependent range reporting around 200-300 km. Iranian and specialist sources describe low-altitude, active-radar-guided land, ship, and aircraft launch options, while IISS later tied Ghader-like C-802 derivatives to Houthi anti-shipping weapons in Yemen and the Red Sea campaign.
Quds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisQuds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industry / Yemen / IranThe 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, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisSayyad anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileBuilt: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industry / Yemen / IranThe 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.
Iranian anti-ship missile systems, Anti-ship missile system, Munitions2020 United States-Iran Conflict, 2014 Yemen Civil WarIranian anti-ship missile systemsAnti-ship missile systemBuilt: Iranian defense industry / IranIranian anti-ship missile systems cover C802/Noor-derived coastal-defense cruise missiles, shorter-range C700-family boat missiles, Fateh-derived anti-ship ballistic missiles, and newer long-range anti-warship cruise missiles. The family underpins Iran's Strait of Hormuz maritime-denial posture and appears in Yemen conflict evidence through Houthi-linked Noor-family missile technology.
Explosively formed penetrator improvised explosive device, Improvised explosive device, Munitions2003 Iraq War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +1 moreExplosively formed penetrator improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive deviceBuilt: Improvised / Al-Qassam Brigades / Multiple countriesAn explosively formed penetrator IED is an improvised shaped-charge roadside or ambush munition that uses a concave metal liner to form a high-velocity penetrator. Documented examples in Iraq, Yemen, and Gaza show the same anti-armor concept adapted from crude copper-liner devices to disguised roadside arrays and Hamas Shawaz charges.
Improvised explosive device, Improvised explosive device, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil War, 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes +12 moreImprovised explosive deviceImprovised explosive deviceBuilt: Local fabrication by armed groups / VariousImprovised explosive devices are field-built bombs assembled from commercial, homemade, or military components and triggers. The documented family spans roadside and pressure-plate bombs, vehicle-borne suicide devices, radio-controlled charges, water-borne attack craft, booby traps, and repurposed ordnance across insurgent, terrorist, and state use cases.
Quds-1 land-attack cruise missile, Land-attack cruise missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil WarQuds-1 land-attack cruise missileLand-attack cruise missileBuilt: Houthi movement / Iranian defense industry / Yemen / IranThe 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, Munitions2023 Red Sea CrisisPalestine 2Medium-range solid-fuel ballistic missileBuilt: Houthi movement / Yemeni defense industry / YemenPalestine 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.
Hwasong-5 ballistic missile, Road-mobile short-range ballistic missile, Munitions1980 Iran-Iraq War, 2014 Yemen Civil WarHwasong-5 ballistic missileRoad-mobile short-range ballistic missileBuilt: North Korean defense industry / North KoreaThe Hwasong-5 is North Korea's Scud-B-derived short-range ballistic missile, a road-mobile liquid-fueled weapon with roughly 300 km range and a near-1,000 kg payload class. Iran used North Korean-supplied Hwasong-5/Shehab-1 missiles in the 1988 War of the Cities, while Houthi-aligned forces later inherited Yemeni Hwasong-5/6 stocks that were mostly converted into Burkan-series missiles.
Burkan-2H ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil WarBurkan-2H ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBuilt: Iranian missile industry / IranThe Burkan-2H is the Houthi designation for a Qiam-1-derived short-range ballistic missile used for cross-border strikes from Yemen into Saudi Arabia during the 2014 Yemen Civil War. UN, CSIS, IISS, and rights-reporting sources connect the missile to attacks on Yanbu, King Khalid International Airport, Yamama Palace, and Riyadh-area targets, making it one of the clearest examples of Iranian missile technology appearing in the Houthi arsenal.
R-17 Scud-B ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Munitions1973 Yom Kippur War, 1980 Iran-Iraq War +5 moreR-17 Scud-B ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBuilt: Votkinsk Machine Building Plant / Soviet UnionThe R-17 Elbrus, known to NATO as the SS-1C Scud-B, is a Soviet road-mobile, liquid-fueled short-range ballistic missile built for deep strikes with conventional, chemical, or nuclear payloads. Its combat record spans Egyptian launches in 1973, Iranian and Iraqi city strikes in the 1980-1988 war, Libyan missile attempts in 1986 and 2011, South Yemeni strikes in 1994, Armenian strikes on Ganja in 2020, and Houthi-aligned use of inherited Yemeni stocks, illustrating the lasting political and civilian risk of older inaccurate ballistic missiles.
Scud-C ballistic missile, Short-range liquid-fueled ballistic missile, Munitions2014 Yemen Civil WarScud-C ballistic missileShort-range liquid-fueled ballistic missileBuilt: Soviet defense industry / North Korean defense industry / Soviet Union / North KoreaThe Scud-C is the extended-range Scud-family short-range ballistic missile class most closely represented in export service by North Korea's Hwasong-6. It traded payload and accuracy for roughly 500-550 km reach, used road-mobile launchers, and appeared in the 2014 Yemen Civil War when Houthi-aligned forces fired Scud-C/Hwasong-6-class missiles from inherited Yemeni stocks into Saudi Arabia.
122 mm Katyusha rocket, Unguided 122 mm artillery rocket, Munitions2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict +1 more122 mm Katyusha rocketUnguided 122 mm artillery rocketBuilt: NPO Splav / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Russia; copies and compatible rockets produced internationallyThe 122 mm Katyusha rocket is the umbrella Grad-style unguided artillery rocket family associated with BM-21 launchers, Grad-P single-round launchers, and improvised rails. It is useful where sources identify Katyusha, Grad, or 122 mm rockets without naming a precise projectile model; direct conflict records document ISWAP use in the Lake Chad basin, Hezbollah salvos from Lebanon, and pro-Houthi rocket fire in Yemen.
9M21 rocket, Unguided artillery rocket, Munitions1973 Yom Kippur War, 1980 Iran-Iraq War +3 more9M21 rocketUnguided artillery rocketBuilt: Barrikada plant / Soviet UnionThe 9M21 is the Soviet unguided, spin-stabilized artillery rocket fired by the 9K52 Luna-M/FROG-7 system. It paired a single-stage solid motor with interchangeable warhead sections, giving Luna-M batteries conventional high-explosive, cluster, chemical, nuclear, and leaflet-dispensing options. Direct conflict sources trace FROG-7 or 9M21 use by Syria, Iraq, and Houthi-aligned forces.
Naval Systems

Category

Warships, submarines, unmanned surface vessels, naval craft, and maritime combat systems.

4/4
4K51 Rubezh coastal-defense missile, Mobile coastal-defense missile system, Naval Systems2014 Yemen Civil War4K51 Rubezh coastal-defense missileMobile coastal-defense missile systemBuilt: KBM Kolomna / Soviet UnionThe 4K51 Rubezh is a Soviet mobile coastal-defense system that puts radar, fire-control equipment, and twin P-15 Termit launch containers on a single MAZ-543-family 8x8 vehicle. Its compact TELAR layout made it exportable and self-contained compared with earlier Soviet coastal batteries; in the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Houthi forces acquired Rubezh/P-15 stocks from Yemeni military inventories and continued to display the type as part of their anti-shipping arsenal.
Mobile coastal launcher, Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles, Naval Systems2014 Yemen Civil War, 2023 Red Sea CrisisMobile coastal launcherTruck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missilesBuilt: Houthi movement / YemenThe 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 Systems2023 Red Sea Crisis, 2014 Yemen Civil WarExplosive unmanned surface vesselUncrewed surface vesselBuilt: Houthi movement / YemenHouthi 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.
Tanks

Category

Heavy armor built around direct fire, protection, and battlefield shock.

5/5
T-62, Main battle tank, Tanks1973 Yom Kippur War, 1979 Soviet-Afghan War +7 moreT-62Main battle tankBuilt: Uralvagonzavod / Soviet UnionThe T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank built around a 115 mm U-5TS/2A20 smoothbore gun, a four-person crew, and a conventional tracked armor layout inherited from the T-54/T-55 design line. Produced in large numbers by Uralvagonzavod, it moved from Cold War export and Soviet service into long-tail combat use: Egyptian and Iraqi T-62s appear in 1970s and 1991 conflict records, while upgraded or inherited T-62M/T-62MV stocks reappeared in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, Tigray, and Yemen.
T-72, Main battle tank, Tanks2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +7 moreT-72Main battle tankBuilt: Uralvagonzavod / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Russia / licensed producersThe T-72 is a Soviet main battle tank family built around a three-person crew, an autoloaded 125 mm gun, and a compact tracked chassis that entered Soviet service in 1974. Its long production run, licensed derivatives, and post-Soviet stockpiles made it a recurring armored vehicle in Iraq, Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, Yemen, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Russia-Ukraine War.
T-80, Main battle tank, Tanks2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +1 moreT-80Main battle tankBuilt: Leningrad Kirov Plant / Omsktransmash / Malyshev Factory / Soviet Union / Russia / UkraineThe T-80 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank built around a compact three-man layout, autoloaded 125 mm gun, and gas-turbine mobility in most major variants. It has appeared in very different combat settings: Russian T-80s fought in Grozny during the 1994 First Chechen War, Russia and Ukraine both operate T-80-family tanks in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, and Houthi-aligned forces have displayed T-80BV tanks in Yemen.
T-54/T-55, Main battle tank / medium tank family, Tanks2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency +7 moreT-54/T-55Main battle tank / medium tank familyBuilt: Uralvagonzavod / Kharkiv Locomotive Factory / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Poland / CzechoslovakiaThe T-54/T-55 is a Soviet tank family built around a low-profile tracked hull, four-person crew, and 100 mm D-10-series gun. It became one of the most widely produced tank families of the Cold War, with Soviet and licensed production spreading across Warsaw Pact and partner states. Direct conflict sourcing traces the family from North Vietnamese T-54 use in the 1975 fall of Saigon and Iraqi T-55s in the Gulf War to recent secondary fire-support, capture, and loss contexts in Ukraine, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Nigeria, and Sudan.
T-34/85 Tank, Medium tank, Tanks2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil WarT-34/85 TankMedium tankBuilt: Soviet state tank factories / Polish and Czechoslovak manufacturers / Soviet Union / Poland / CzechoslovakiaThe T-34/85 is the 85 mm-gun version of the Soviet T-34 medium tank, built in large numbers in the Soviet Union and later in Poland and Czechoslovakia. Its modern relevance comes from isolated post-Cold War survival rather than contemporary capability: sources document reactivated Yemeni tanks used as mobile direct-fire support and exceptional 2014 Russia-Ukraine War appearances involving recovered monument vehicles.