Houthi-aligned forces used C-801/C-802-family anti-ship cruise missiles in the Yemen war's Red Sea maritime campaign; CSIS caveats some 2016 incidents as likely C-801 or C-802, while later CTC analysis identifies Al-Mandab-2 as the Houthi C-802-family anti-ship cruise missile known to have been used.
Role detailsMunitions
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile
Also known as
- Al Mandab 2
- Al-Mandab 2
- Mandab-2
- Al-Mandeb 2
- Al-Mandab-2 C-802
- Houthi C-802
Al-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.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- Houthi movement
Houthi forces used an anti-ship cruise missile in the 11 December 2023 strike on the tanker Strinda; CENTCOM assessed the launch came from Houthi-controlled Yemen, DIA linked recovered engine debris to the Noor-family Tolu-4 engine, and CTC identifies Al-Mandab-2 as the Houthi C-802-family anti-ship cruise missile known to have been used.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Yemen / Iran-linked C-802 derivative
- Type
- Anti-ship cruise missile
- Service note
- 2022-present
- Designer
- Houthi missile program / Iranian defense industry
- Designed
- 2022
- Produced
- 2022-present
- Number built
- Not publicly disclosed
Specifications
- Length
- 7 m (Houthi-affiliated media claim reported by the UN Panel)
- Diameter
- 0.36 m (Houthi-affiliated media claim reported by the UN Panel)
- Claimed range
- 300 km
- Propulsion
- Micro-turbojet engine; DIA debris reporting ties the family context to the Iranian Tolu-4 engine used in Noor-family missiles
- Guidance
- Likely active radar terminal seeker in C-802-derived anti-ship cruise missile context
- Related family
- Chinese C-802 / Iranian Noor, Ghader and Ghadir anti-ship cruise missile family
C-802 Family Identification
Al-Mandab-2 sits in a disputed identification space around the Chinese C-802 and Iranian Noor, Ghader and Ghadir anti-ship cruise missile line. UN reporting records Houthi-claimed dimensions and range, then notes external similarity to C-802-derived Iranian systems. IISS assesses the displayed missile as closest to Ghader while caveating the Ghadir question; Conflict Armament Research later identifies Al-Mandab-2 as the Houthi designation for Ghadir.
Houthi label
Al-Mandab-2 was displayed in 2022 and claimed at 7 m length and 300 km range in Houthi-affiliated media reported by the UN Panel.
Family baseline
CTC, RUSI, DIA and IISS place the missile in the C-802/Noor-derived anti-ship cruise missile family rather than treating it as an independently documented clean-sheet Yemeni design.
Assessment split
IISS points to Ghader-like features and unresolved Ghadir evidence, while CAR identifies Ghadir as the Iranian system behind the Al-Mandab-2 designation.
Variants
Open-source reporting treats Al-Mandab-2 as a Houthi designation within the C-802-derived Iranian anti-ship cruise missile family, but sources do not fully agree on whether the displayed missile most closely corresponds to Ghader, Ghadir, or a broader Noor/C-802 derivative.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Chinese baseline and Iranian Noor derivative family | CTC and RUSI treat Al-Mandab-2 as a Houthi C-802/Noor-family anti-ship cruise missile; DIA debris analysis also points to the Noor-family Tolu-4 turbojet. Sources: Assessing the Houthi War Effort Since October 2023, Securing the Red Sea: How Can Houthi Maritime Strikes be Countered?, Seized At Sea: Iranian Weapons Smuggled to the Houthis |
 | Longer-range Iranian C-802 derivative | UN and IISS reporting compare the Houthi-displayed Al-Mandab-2 with Iranian Ghader/Ghadir-family missiles, with IISS saying the paraded system closely resembled Ghader. Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023, Navigating Troubled Waters: The Houthis' Campaign in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden |
| Ghadir | 300 km Iranian C-802 derivative | Iran Watch lists Ghadir as a 300 km C-802 improvement, and Conflict Armament Research identifies Ghadir as the Iranian system corresponding to the Houthi Al-Mandab-2 designation; IISS treats Houthi acquisition of Ghadir as unresolved in public evidence. Sources: Leveling the Field: Iran's Asymmetric Use of Conventional Military Capabilities, Analysing Houthi Missile Components, Navigating Troubled Waters: The Houthis' Campaign in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden |
Launch Platforms
Open-source reporting places Al-Mandab-2 in the same Houthi coastal-defense missile inventory as truck-based launchers.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Truck-mounted launcher | RUSI states that the Al-Mandab-2 and other Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles are truck-launched, which explicitly ties this missile family to a truck-mounted launch platform. Sources: Securing the Red Sea: How Can Houthi Maritime Strikes be Countered? |
Related Missile Family
The Al-Mandab-2 designation is documented through comparisons with C-802-derived Iranian systems rather than a single uncontested factory model.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
| C-802 / Noor family | CTC identifies Al-Mandab-2 as the Houthi C-802-family anti-ship cruise missile known to have been used, and RUSI describes Al-Mandab-2 as a truck-launched C-802 derivative. Sources: Assessing the Houthi War Effort Since October 2023, Securing the Red Sea: How Can Houthi Maritime Strikes be Countered? |
| Ghader / Ghadir family context | UN reporting compares Al-Mandab-2 externally with Iranian Ghader/Ghadir missiles, while IISS assesses the paraded Houthi missile as closest to Ghader and leaves Ghadir acquisition uncertain. Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023, Navigating Troubled Waters: The Houthis' Campaign in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden |
 | Earlier Houthi anti-ship designation | UN reporting lists Al-Mandab-1 and Al-Mandab-2 together among Houthi-displayed anti-ship cruise missiles, making the older designation useful context for the later C-802-derived missile label. Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023, UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023 Final Report |
Timeline
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile Key Events
ASCM components seized en route to Yemen
The UN Panel later noted that U.S. Navy forces seized anti-ship cruise missile components with characteristics similar to the Al-Mandab systems displayed by the Houthis in 2022.
Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023
Hudaydah parade display
UN reporting lists Al-Mandab-2 among anti-ship weapons displayed by Houthi forces during a September 2022 military parade in Hudaydah.
Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023 Final Report
Sana'a parade display
The UN Panel described Al-Mandab-2 imagery from the September 2022 Sana'a parade and compared the missile externally with C-802-derived Iranian Ghader/Ghadir systems.
Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023
Strinda hit by Houthi anti-ship cruise missile
CENTCOM assessed that an anti-ship cruise missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen struck M/T Strinda near Bab el-Mandeb; CTC later identified Al-Mandab-2 as the Houthi C-802-family anti-ship cruise missile known to have been used.
Sources: CENTCOM Statement on missile attack in the Bab-el-Mandeb, Assessing the Houthi War Effort Since October 2023
Media
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023Publisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Background and specs: the panel reported Houthi-affiliated media claims for Al-Mandab-2 length, diameter, range, micro-turbojet propulsion and Yemeni manufacture, and compared its external appearance with C-802 and Iranian Ghader/Ghadir missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-03UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2023 Final ReportPublisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Supports background on the September 2022 Hudaydah and Sana'a Houthi displays, including the listing of Al-Mandab-2 among displayed anti-ship missiles under Panel investigation. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Assessing the Houthi War Effort Since October 2023Publisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War and 2023 Red Sea Crisis: identifies the 11 December 2023 Strinda strike as strongly associated with an anti-ship cruise missile and states that the only anti-ship cruise missile known to have been used by the Houthis is Al-Mandab-2 (C-802). | Accessed: 2026-07-03CENTCOM Statement on missile attack in the Bab-el-MandebPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: M/T Strinda was attacked on 11 December 2023 by an assessed anti-ship cruise missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Seized At Sea: Iranian Weapons Smuggled to the HouthisPublisher: Defense Intelligence Agency | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: links engine debris recovered from the 11 December 2023 Houthi attack on M/T Strinda to the Iranian Tolu-4 engine used in the Noor anti-ship cruise missile family; also supports Noor-family component context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports Houthi use of C-801/C-802 anti-ship missiles against vessels near Yemen, including 2016 Red Sea attacks, while caveating some incidents as likely C-801 or C-802. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Navigating Troubled Waters: The Houthis' Campaign in the Red Sea and the Gulf of AdenPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports Houthi anti-ship cruise missile family context, including IISS assessment that primary Houthi ASCMs are Iranian-made C-802 derivatives and that the paraded Al-Mandab-2 closely resembled Ghader while the Ghadir acquisition question remained publicly unresolved. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Leveling the Field: Iran's Asymmetric Use of Conventional Military CapabilitiesPublisher: Iran Watch | Note: Supports Noor, Ghader and Ghadir as Iranian C-802 anti-ship cruise missile derivatives with reported 120 km, 200 km and 300 km ranges and turbojet propulsion. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Analysing Houthi Missile ComponentsPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports component-analysis context that identifies Ghadir as the Iranian system and Al-Mandab-2 as the Houthi designation in documented maritime seizure material. | Accessed: 2026-07-03USS Carney engages Houthi missiles 2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing context for the primary contextual image of USS Carney engaging Houthi missiles and drones. | Accessed: 2026-07-03USS Carney engages Houthi missiles.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing context for a secondary contextual image of USS Carney engaging Houthi missiles and drones. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons Qader launcher photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a CC BY 4.0 Qader-family truck-launch photo used as related C-802/Ghader-family launcher context, not as confirmed Al-Mandab-2 imagery. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Oryx: A Maritime Menace The Houthi NavyPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports the Houthi truck-based launcher context and the article's listing of Qader/Al-Mandab-2 among the Houthi anti-ship missile systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Securing the Red Sea: How Can Houthi Maritime Strikes be Countered?Publisher: Royal United Services Institute | Note: Supports the truck-launched anti-ship cruise missile relationship for the Al-Mandab-2 family, including the missile's use with truck-mounted launch platforms. | Accessed: 2026-07-03