Profile
- Type
- Tracked 122 mm self-propelled artillery conversion
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Origin
- Yemen conversion on a Soviet ATS-59/ATS-59G chassis
- Service note
- Cold War chassis adapted for the Yemen Civil War
Artillery
ATS-59-122
The ATS-59-122 is a rare Yemeni self-propelled artillery conversion that mounts a 122 mm artillery piece on the Soviet ATS-59/ATS-59G tracked artillery tractor family. In the Yemen Civil War record it is best treated as a sparsely documented Houthi-aligned battlefield fire-support system, with sources supporting the chassis family, the Yemeni 122 mm conversion, and related Tokchon-style ATS-59 self-propelled gun use.
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Built in
- YemenSoviet UnionPoland
Service History
- In service
- Documented in Yemeni stocks by 2015; conflict-era operational details are limited
- Used by
- Houthi-aligned forces, Yemeni Army
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- Unknown conversion designer; ATS-59G developed by SKB of the KMZ plant
- Designed
- Unknown conversion date; ATS-59G developed in the mid-to-late 1960s
- Built in
- YemenSoviet UnionPoland
- Unit cost
- Unknown
- Produced
- Unknown conversion period; ATS-59G chassis production 1969-1987
- Number built
- Unknown
- Variants
- 122 mm ATS-59-122, Related North Korean Tokchon ATS-59-based self-propelled guns
Specifications
- Armament
- 122 mm artillery piece mounted on an ATS-59/ATS-59G tracked chassis; exact gun model is not consistently identified in open sources
- Chassis
- ATS-59/ATS-59G tracked artillery tractor family with five road wheels
- Engine
- ATS-59G reference chassis uses an A-650G V12 diesel rated at about 300 hp
- Mobility
- ATS-59G reference chassis road speed about 45 km/h and range about 350 km, or 500 km with auxiliary fuel
- Protection
- Soft-skin artillery tractor chassis with no armor on the reference ATS-59G
- Crew
- Unknown for the Yemeni conversion; related Tokchon-family references list a crew of about three
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Houthi-aligned forcesRole: Improvised tracked tube artillery fire support
Fielded from former Yemeni Army artillery stocks and related ATS-59/Tokchon-style conversions; open sources identify 122 mm ATS-59-122 vehicles in Yemen and Houthi use of North Korean Tokchon self-propelled guns in fighting with Saudi Arabia.
ATS-59-122 Images
Related Weapon Systems
60 mm mortarLight infantry mortarThe 60 mm mortar is a portable light infantry indirect-fire weapon class used for close support with high-angle fire. Yemen Civil War sourcing identifies 20 60 mm mortar tubes in a February 2016 HMAS Darwin maritime seizure that U.S. analysis later assessed as part of Iran-origin arms caches intended for Houthi forces, so this entry records attempted supply rather than a confirmed model or observed firing in Yemen.
A-19 122 mm field gun122 mm towed corps gunThe A-19 is a Soviet 122 mm towed field gun developed for corps-level artillery fire, combining a long barrel, separate-loading ammunition, and an approximately 20 km range. In the Yemen Civil War archive it is included conservatively as legacy Yemeni Army artillery documented in pre-war holdings available to battlefield parties, not as a source-confirmed record of a specific firing event.
Badr-1 rocketUnguided artillery rocketThe Badr-1 is a Yemeni Houthi-associated rocket that the group unveiled in 2017 and used in the Yemen Civil War for cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia. Open-source reporting often calls it a ballistic missile, but the UN panel and CSIS describe it as a locally produced, unguided artillery rocket.
Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcherTowed 107 mm multiple rocket launcherThe Type 63 is a Chinese 12-tube 107 mm multiple rocket launcher built for simple, short-range area fires from a light towed carriage or vehicle mount. In the Yemen Civil War, open-source inventory work documents Houthi-aligned forces fielding the system from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks, alongside larger rockets and missiles.
Zelzal-1 rocketUnguided artillery rocketThe Zelzal-1 is an Iranian long-range unguided artillery rocket. In the Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used it for cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia and for the March 2017 Sirwah mosque strike in Marib Province.
122 mm M-30 howitzer122 mm towed field howitzerThe 122 mm M-30 howitzer is a Soviet split-trail towed field howitzer designed before World War II and produced in large numbers by Soviet plants. Its appearance in the Nagorno-Karabakh archive reflects the continued battlefield use of older Soviet artillery stocks by Armenian/Artsakh forces alongside newer 122 mm systems.Sources
Handbook Of Pre-War Yemeni Fighting VehiclesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War context: 122mm ATS-59-122 was fielded by the Yemeni Army before the Houthi takeover and listed as equipment available to Yemeni parties on the battlefield; also supports the exact image used for this entry. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Tokchon Self-Propelled Gun PlatformPublisher: MilitaryFactory.com | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War direct-use context: Houthi forces used ATS-59-based North Korean Tokchon self-propelled guns in fighting with Saudi Arabia, and the source lists Yemen rebel groups as operators. | Accessed: 2026-06-20ATS-59GPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports ATS-59G chassis background, manufacturer, production period, mobility specifications, and image provenance for the reference chassis gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Egyptian ATS-59G 122 mm MLRSPublisher: Tank Encyclopedia | Note: Supports background on ATS-59G artillery conversions and notes that Yemen mounted 122 mm artillery on ATS-59G chassis. | Accessed: 2026-06-20