Profile
- Type
- Mobile coastal-defense missile system
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Late Cold War to present
Naval Systems
4K51 Rubezh coastal-defense missile
The 4K51 Rubezh is a Soviet mobile coastal-defense system built around the P-15 Termit anti-ship missile and a MAZ-543 launcher. In the Yemen Civil War, Houthi forces fielded Rubezh missiles taken from Yemeni Army stocks as part of their anti-shipping arsenal.
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Built by
- KBM Kolomna
- Built in
- Soviet Union
Service History
- In service
- Entered Soviet service in 1978 and remained in export and reserve use.
- Used by
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- KBM Kolomna
- Designed
- 1970-1978
- Built by
- KBM Kolomna
- Built in
- Soviet Union
- Produced
- 1978-?
- Variants
- 3P51, 3P51M, Rubezh-E
Specifications
- Crew
- 5 on the 3P51M launcher vehicle
- Launcher
- MAZ-543M 8x8 truck with a rear twin launcher and raised search radar
- Missile
- P-15 Termit / SS-N-2 Styx anti-ship cruise missile
- Range
- Up to 80 km
- Mobility
- About 60 km/h on roads
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Houthi-aligned forcesRole: Coastal anti-ship battery
Fielded by Houthi forces in the Yemen Civil War after seizure from Yemeni Army stocks.
4K51 Rubezh coastal-defense missile Images
Related Weapon Systems
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HarpoonCoastal and anti-ship cruise missile systemHarpoon is a U.S.-origin all-weather anti-ship cruise missile family built around active radar terminal homing and sea-skimming flight. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine received land-based Harpoon coastal defense systems and adapted truck-launched RGM-84 missiles to threaten Russian surface ships operating near the Black Sea coast.
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4K51 RubezhPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports 4K51 Rubezh launcher background, developer/producer context, service status, and system specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20P-15 Termit (SS-N-2 Styx)Publisher: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance | Note: Supports P-15 Termit missile background, designer/producer, range, and launch-role specifications used by the 4K51 Rubezh system. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Houthi Explainer: Military ArsenalPublisher: The Iran Primer / USIP | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War fielded by Houthi forces after seizure from Yemeni Army stocks. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Romanian 4K51 Rubezh missile launchPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the Romanian 4K51 Rubezh missile launch photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Romanian missile launchersPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 2.0 licensing for the Romanian 4K51 Rubezh parade launcher photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20ParkPatriot2015part5-17Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the 4K51 Rubezh TELAR photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20