Munitions

Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile

Also known as
  • Al Mandab 1
  • al-Mandab-1
  • Al-Mandab 1
  • C-801
  • YJ-8
  • CSS-N-4 Sardine

Al-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-1 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions
Image source: YJ-8 Missile 20220203

Role in Conflicts

2014 Yemen Civil War
Area DenialInterdiction

In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Houthi forces displayed al-Mandab-1 in a November 2017 anti-ship missile video; CSIS also says Houthi forces employed C-801/802 missiles in attacks near Yemen's coast, including the 2016 USS Mason incidents, while cautioning that al-Mandab-1's exact C-801 or C-802 identity is unclear.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Type
Anti-ship cruise missile
Service note
Cold War design later shown in the 2014 Yemen Civil War
Designer
China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy
Designed
Late 1970s
Produced
1980s onward for the C-801 family

Specifications

Range
About 40-42 km
Warhead
165 kg
Launch weight
About 815 kg
Length
5.81 m for the C-801 baseline
Diameter
0.36 m
Propulsion
Solid rocket motor for the C-801/YJ-8 identification
Flight profile
Subsonic sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missile
Guidance
Inertial guidance with active radar terminal homing
Designation And Evidence Notes

The al-Mandab-1 label is best read as a Houthi designation for older Chinese-origin anti-ship missiles rather than as a clean factory model name. CSIS identifies the displayed system as C-801/C-802-family and explicitly cautions that the two are visually similar in open imagery.

Baseline family

The C-801/YJ-8 baseline gives the page its short-range specification set: about 42 km range, a 165 kg warhead, and active-radar terminal homing.

Yemen stock path

CSIS traces pre-war Yemeni C-801 stocks to a 1995 Chinese sale and says several missiles passed to Houthi forces in 2015.

Identification limit

The conflict display proves Houthi fielding of the al-Mandab-1 designation, but not a clean public separation between C-801 and C-802 airframe identities.

Variants

The al-Mandab-1 name is a Houthi conflict designation overlaid on the Chinese YJ-8/C-801 family. Sources differ on whether the displayed missile should be treated as a C-801 or a visually similar C-802-family weapon, so the related designations are kept explicit.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
C-801 anti-ship missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsC-801 anti-ship missileChinese baseline family

CSIS lists the C-801 as a 42 km Chinese anti-ship missile and cites Yemen's 1995 procurement before several missiles fell into Houthi hands in 2015.

Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

C-802/Noor anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsC-802/Noor anti-ship cruise missileVisually similar improved family

CSIS says the al-Mandab-1 display cannot be confidently separated from C-801 or C-802 by appearance, and that Houthi forces may also have acquired C-802 or Iranian Noor derivatives.

Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileLater Houthi long-range designation

IISS and CTC treat Al-Mandab-2 as the more capable C-802/Ghadir-linked Houthi anti-ship cruise missile, distinct from the older Al-Mandab-1/C-801 stock.

Sources: IISS: Houthi anti-ship missile systems, CTC: Assessing the Houthi War Effort

Launch Platforms

Open-source reporting places Al-Mandab-1 on mobile coastal launch trucks rather than on a fixed shore battery.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Mobile coastal launcher, Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles, Naval SystemsMobile coastal launcherMobile coastal launcher

Army Recognition and Topwar both say Al-Mandab-1 is launched from a mobile coastal launcher; National Interest adds that Yemeni sailors recovered C.801 launchers and installed missiles on trucks with surface-search radars.

Sources: Army Recognition: Red Sea arsenal analysis, Topwar: Houthi anti-ship weapons review, National Interest: Houthi missiles that could sink a navy warship

Timeline

Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile Key Events

  1. Yemen procures C-801 missiles

    CSIS cites SIPRI for a 1995 Chinese sale of 25 C-801 anti-ship missiles to pre-war Yemen.

    Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

  2. Missiles fall into Houthi hands

    CSIS says several C-801 missiles passed to Houthi forces in 2015 after the defection of three Yemeni navy Type 021 missile boats.

    Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

  3. Al-Mandab-1 designation appears

    CSIS reports that Houthi media posted a November 2017 video depicting anti-ship missiles designated al-Mandab-1, while noting the C-801/C-802 identification uncertainty.

    Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

  4. Older stocks remain a caveated threat

    TWZ and IISS described C-801/Al-Mandab-1 missiles as older Houthi-held anti-ship cruise missiles that are still paraded, while noting uncertainty about remaining operational numbers.

    Sources: TWZ: Houthi anti-ship missile arsenal, IISS: Houthi anti-ship missile systems

Media

Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile Images

Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions - view 1
Source: C-802 anti ship missile
Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions - view 2
Source: C-802 and C-705 missiles being launched
Related Weapon Systems
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileAl-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.
Mobile coastal launcher, Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsMobile coastal launcherTruck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missilesThe 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.
C-801 anti-ship missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsC-801 anti-ship missileAnti-ship cruise missileThe 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.
Quds-1 land-attack cruise missile, Land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsQuds-1 land-attack cruise missileLand-attack cruise missileThe 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.

Sources

The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports Houthi C-801/802 attacks near Yemen's coastline, the November 2017 al-Mandab-1 video, Yemen's pre-war C-801 procurement, 2015 Houthi acquisition context, and the C-801/C-802 identification caveat. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Houthis missile inventoryPublisher: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance | Note: Supports the Houthi anti-ship missile inventory listing for Al Mandab 1 as a China/C-801 missile with a 40 km range and 165 kg warhead. | Accessed: 2026-07-01A Low-Visibility Force Multiplier: Assessing China's Cruise Missile DevelopmentsPublisher: National Defense University Press | Note: Supports the C-801 family background and Chinese manufacturer context for the missile family associated with al-Mandab-1. | Accessed: 2026-07-01YJ-8 Missile 20220203Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and license for the primary C-801-family image used on this entry. | Accessed: 2026-07-01C-802 anti ship missilePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and license for a gallery image showing a related C-802-family missile installation. | Accessed: 2026-07-01C-802 and C-705 missiles being launchedPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and license for a gallery image showing a related C-802-family launch view. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army Recognition: Red Sea arsenal analysisPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the report that Yemen received Type 037IG missile boats equipped with YJ-8/C-801 missiles and the reported maximum range of Al-Mandab-1 when launched from a mobile coastal launcher. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Topwar: Houthi anti-ship weapons reviewPublisher: Topwar | Note: Supports the mobile coastal launcher relationship and the reported maximum range of Al-Mandab-1 when launched from it. | Accessed: 2026-07-01National Interest: Houthi missiles that could sink a navy warshipPublisher: The National Interest | Note: Supports the launcher relationship by describing Yemeni sailors recovering C.801 launchers and installing missiles on trucks with surface-search radars. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IISS: Houthi anti-ship missile systemsPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports background on Houthi acquisition of older C-801/Al-Mandab-1 missiles after early conflict territorial gains, their continued parade visibility, and the distinction from later Al-Mandab-2/C-802-family systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-01TWZ: Houthi anti-ship missile arsenalPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports background on Houthi C-801/Al-Mandab-1 stocks, range and seeker context, and the caveat that older missiles are still paraded but their remaining operational inventory is unclear. | Accessed: 2026-07-01CTC: Assessing the Houthi War EffortPublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports background distinction between older displayed Al-Mandab-1/C-801-family missiles and later Al-Mandab-2/C-802-family anti-ship cruise missiles that CTC identifies as the only Houthi anti-ship cruise missile known to have been used in the post-October 2023 shipping campaign. | Accessed: 2026-07-01