Burkan-1 ballistic missile

Also known as

Borkan-1
Borkan 1
Burqan-1
Burqan 1
Volcano-1
Volcano 1

Burkan-1 is the Houthi designation for a locally upgraded Scud-family ballistic missile, likely derived from the Shahab-1/Scud-B line, that Houthi-aligned forces unveiled in 2016 and used for cross-border strikes from Yemen toward Saudi and coalition targets.

Burkan-1 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Munitions

Image source: SS-1c Scud B ballistic missile.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Side: Houthi-aligned forces

2014 Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi-aligned forces for cross-border ballistic-missile attacks from Yemen, including reported Burkan-1 launches toward Taif, the disputed Jeddah-Mecca area, Zuqar Island, and the King Fahd Air Base area.

Role details

Design Notes

Burkan-1 sits at the early point of the Houthi Burkan sequence: sources describe a locally upgraded Scud-family missile before the better-documented Qiam-derived Burkan-2H appeared in 2017.

Designation

CSIS identifies the missile as Burkan-1 or Volcano-1; open sources also use Borkan-1 and Burqan-1 spellings.

Lineage

CSIS assesses Burkan-1 as likely modified from Iran's Shahab-1, while Arms Control Wonk compared the displayed missile to an extended-range Scud.

Later family context

The UN Panel later tied Borkan-2H remnants to Qiam-1 design features, so Burkan-1 should not be collapsed into the later Qiam-derived missile without that distinction.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: Yemen
Built by: Houthi movement
Type: Short-range ballistic missile
Service note: 2016-present
Designer: Houthi missile program
Designed: 2016
Unit cost: Not publicly established
Produced: 2016-present
Number built: Not publicly established
Developed from: Shahab-1 / Scud-family ballistic missile

Specifications

Class: Short-range ballistic missile
Range: About 800 km
Length: 12.5 m
Diameter: 0.88 m
Launch weight: About 7,250 kg
Warhead: About 500 kg high-explosive payload
Propulsion: Single-stage liquid-fueled rocket
Launch platform: Road-mobile transporter-erector-launcher
Guidance: Inertial guidance

Variants

Open sources use Burkan-1, Borkan-1, Burqan-1, and Volcano-1 for the same Houthi missile, while later Burkan designations moved toward Qiam-derived extended-range configurations.

Variant	Configuration	Designation notes
Burkan-2H ballistic missile	Later Qiam-derived Houthi ballistic missile	CSIS describes Burkan-2H as the upgraded Houthi Burkan missile line that followed earlier Burkan-1 launches and introduced Qiam-family features. Sources: The Missile War in Yemen
Burkan-3 ballistic missile	Later extended-range Burkan missile	Burkan-3 continued the Houthi Burkan designation sequence after Burkan-1 and Burkan-2H, with later sources treating it as a longer-range Qiam-derived system. Sources: The Missile War in Yemen
Qiam-1 / modified Qiam ballistic missile	Adjacent Iranian missile lineage	UN and CSIS reporting connect later Borkan/Burkan-family extended-range missiles to Qiam-derived design features, while Burkan-1 itself is usually treated as an earlier Shahab-1 or Scud-derived upgrade. Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen S/2018/594, The Missile War in Yemen

Variant

Configuration

Designation notes

Burkan-2H ballistic missile

Later Qiam-derived Houthi ballistic missile

CSIS describes Burkan-2H as the upgraded Houthi Burkan missile line that followed earlier Burkan-1 launches and introduced Qiam-family features.

Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

Burkan-3 ballistic missile

Later extended-range Burkan missile

Burkan-3 continued the Houthi Burkan designation sequence after Burkan-1 and Burkan-2H, with later sources treating it as a longer-range Qiam-derived system.

Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

Qiam-1 / modified Qiam ballistic missile

Adjacent Iranian missile lineage

UN and CSIS reporting connect later Borkan/Burkan-family extended-range missiles to Qiam-derived design features, while Burkan-1 itself is usually treated as an earlier Shahab-1 or Scud-derived upgrade.

Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen S/2018/594, The Missile War in Yemen

Launch Vehicles

Burkan-1 is described as a likely modified Shahab-1 / Scud-family missile, and the Shahab-1 and Scud-B launch chain is documented on the MAZ-543P TEL.

Launcher	Launcher type	Launch evidence
MAZ-543P transporter-erector-launcher	Transporter-erector-launcher	CSIS identifies Shahab-1 as launched from the MAZ-543P TEL, which supports the launcher context for the Burkan-1 lineage. Sources: Shahab-1 (Scud B-Variant), R-17 Elbrus (SS-1 Scud-B)

Launcher

Launcher type

Launch evidence

MAZ-543P transporter-erector-launcher

Transporter-erector-launcher

CSIS identifies Shahab-1 as launched from the MAZ-543P TEL, which supports the launcher context for the Burkan-1 lineage.

Sources: Shahab-1 (Scud B-Variant), R-17 Elbrus (SS-1 Scud-B)

Timeline

Burkan-1 ballistic missile Key Events

Sep 1, 2016
First Burkan-1 launch
CSIS says the Houthis fired a new Scud variant for the first time in September 2016, dubbing it Burkan-1 / Volcano-1 and targeting a Saudi air base in Taif.
Sources: The Missile War in Yemen
Oct 1, 2016
Disputed Jeddah-Mecca-area launch
Human Rights Watch reported that Houthi forces acknowledged firing a Burkan-1 into Saudi Arabia, while Saudi and Houthi accounts disputed whether the target was Mecca or King Abdulaziz International Airport near Jeddah.
Sources: Yemen: Houthi Strike on Saudi Airport Likely War Crime
Jan 31, 2017
Strike on Zuqar Island
The same CSIS report says one Burkan-1 hit the Saudi-UAE military base on Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, killing about 80 coalition soldiers.
Sources: The Missile War in Yemen
Jul 27, 2017
Intercept near Mecca
CSIS reported Saudi Arabia intercepting a Burkan-1 launched from northern Yemen near the Mecca area, while Houthi-Saleh sources said King Fahd Air Base was the intended target.
Sources: Saudi Arabia Intercepts Yemeni Missile Near Mecca