- Side
- Houthi movement
In the 2023 Red Sea Crisis, CENTCOM said the Houthis launched an ASBM from Yemen on January 16, 2024 that struck M/V Zografia, and on January 31 another Houthi ASBM was shot down over the Gulf of Aden.
Role detailsMunitions
Asef anti-ship ballistic missile
Also known as
- Asif
Asef, also written Asif, is the Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile unveiled in the group's 2022 parade and described by analysts as a Fateh-family derivative, probably closest to Iran's Fateh-313. Open-source reporting tied it to the January 2024 M/V Zografia strike and later Houthi ASBM launches in the Red Sea crisis.
Role in Conflicts
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Yemen / Iran-derived design
- Built by
- Houthi movement
- Built in
- Yemen
- Type
- Anti-ship ballistic missile
- Service note
- 2022-present; documented in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis
- Designer
- Houthi movement / Iranian-derived design lineage
- Designed
- 2022
- Produced
- 2022-present
Specifications
- Class
- Anti-ship ballistic missile
- Range
- About 450 km in IISS reporting; the Houthis claimed 400 km
- Guidance
- Electro-optical/infrared terminal seeker
- Warhead
- About 400 kg, according to IISS
- Length
- Roughly 9 m
- Basing
- Road-mobile
Variants
- Asef
Design Lineage
Open-source reporting places Asef in the Fateh family rather than treating it as a separate missile design.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Parent missile family | IISS says the Houthis' 400 km claim would, if accurate, point to a Fateh-313 derivative, and TWZ describes Asef as derived directly from Iran's Fateh-313. Sources: The Houthis' Campaign in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, The Anti-Ship Missile Arsenal Houthis Are Firing Into The Red Sea |
Timeline
Asef anti-ship ballistic missile Key Events
Houthis first unveil dedicated ASBMs
IISS says the Houthis first showed dedicated anti-ship ballistic missiles in their 2022 post-ceasefire parade and identifies Asef as one of the displayed designs.
Sources: The Houthis' Campaign in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
M/V Zografia is hit in the Southern Red Sea
CENTCOM said Houthi militants launched an ASBM from Yemen that struck M/V Zografia, and TWZ later said the video showed the missile hitting the ship's hull.
Sources: Video Of Anti-Ship Missile Striking Ship During Red Sea Attack Surfaces, Iranian-Backed Houthi Terrorists Conduct Multiple Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile Attacks
USS Carney shoots down another Houthi ASBM
CENTCOM reported that USS Carney shot down a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile fired from Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden.
Sources: Houthi Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile and Iranian UAVs Shot Down in Gulf of Aden
Operational Snapshot
IISS and TWZ both place Asef inside the Fateh family. That matters because the Houthi missile is not just a generic anti-ship weapon on paper: it is one of the group's dedicated ASBM designs and the one most often linked to the January 2024 ship strikes.
| Topic | Source-backed detail |
|---|---|
| Public debut | IISS says the Houthis first showed dedicated ASBMs in their 2022 post-ceasefire parade. |
| Family link | TWZ describes Asef as derived directly from Iran's Fateh-313, while IISS says the 400 km Houthi claim would, if accurate, suggest that same lineage. |
| Operational relevance | TWZ says Asef is the largest purpose-built Houthi ASBM, and the January 16, 2024 Zografia strike is the clearest open-source example tied to the system. |
Media
Asef anti-ship ballistic missile Images
Related Weapon Systems
Related News
Sources
Fateh-313Publisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports Asef background and specs by documenting the Iranian Fateh-313 family that analysts identify as the design basis for the Houthi Asef anti-ship ballistic missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Houthi anti-ship missile systems: getting better all the timePublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports Asef background as a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile and the reporting that the 450 km-range Asef appears to be a rebranded ASBM version of Iran's Fateh 313 missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-21The Houthis' Campaign in the Red Sea and the Gulf of AdenPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports the 2022 unveiling of dedicated Houthi ASBMs, Asef background, and the estimate that a 400 km Asef would point to a Fateh-313-derived design. | Accessed: 2026-06-27The Anti-Ship Missile Arsenal Houthis Are Firing Into The Red SeaPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports the Asif spelling, the 2022 parade debut, and the assessment that Asef is an anti-ship derivative of Iran's Fateh-313 missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Video Of Anti-Ship Missile Striking Ship During Red Sea Attack SurfacesPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: analysts tied the Houthi Asef ASBM to the January 16, 2024 Red Sea strike on M/V Zografia and described it as the largest purpose-built Houthi ASBM in the conflict. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Houthi Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile and Iranian UAVs Shot Down in Gulf of AdenPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: CENTCOM reported on January 31, 2024 that a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile fired from Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden was shot down by USS Carney. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Iranian-Backed Houthi Terrorists Conduct Multiple Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile AttacksPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: CENTCOM reported Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile attacks launched from Yemen into the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the 2023 Red Sea Crisis. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Unveiling ceremony of Fateh-313 missile (01)Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a CC-licensed Fateh-313 missile image used as the closest rights-clear visual analog available for the Asef entry. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Fateh-F missile unveiling (2)Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a second CC BY 4.0 Fateh-313/Fateh-F unveiling photo used as gallery context for the Asef entry. | Accessed: 2026-06-27