Profile
- Type
- Scud-derived ballistic missile
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Origin
- Iran (transferred to Yemen for Houthi use)
- Service note
- 2017-present
Munitions
Burkan-2H ballistic missile
The Burkan-2H is the Houthi designation for an Iranian Qiam-1-derived, Scud-type ballistic missile used in the Yemen Civil War for long-range strikes against Saudi targets. Open-source reporting links it to 2017 launches toward Yanbu and Riyadh and to the broader Houthi missile campaign.
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Built by
- Iranian missile industry
- Built in
- Iran
Service History
- In service
- First documented Houthi use in July 2017 during the Yemen Civil War.
- Used by
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Built by
- Iranian missile industry
- Built in
- Iran
Specifications
- Range
- 800 km class; reported strikes reached about 1,100 km
- Warhead
- 500 kg separable warhead
- Guidance
- Ground-based guidance augmentation
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Houthi-aligned forcesRole: Long-range ballistic strike
In the Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used the Burkan-2H for long-range strikes against Saudi targets, including Yanbu and Riyadh in 2017.
Burkan-2H ballistic missile Images
Related Weapon Systems
AGM-154 JSOWAir-launched guided glide bombThe AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon is a U.S.-built, 1,000-pound-class air-launched guided glide bomb that gives carrier and tactical aircraft a GPS/INS-guided standoff option against fixed land targets. In the Yemen Civil War archive it is represented through documented U.S. Navy F/A-18 loadouts for strikes against Houthi forces during the 2025 Red Sea escalation.
Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileAl-Mandab-1 is the Houthi designation for a Chinese C-801-family anti-ship cruise missile. Open-source reporting ties it to pre-war Yemeni stocks and shows Houthi forces fielding it during the Yemen Civil War, while the exact C-801 or C-802 variant remains uncertain.
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileAl-Mandab-2 is the Houthi designation for a long-range anti-ship cruise missile used in the Yemen Civil War against Red Sea shipping. UN reporting described it as a seven-meter, 300-kilometer system with micro-turbojet propulsion and noted strong external similarities to the C-802 and Iran's Ghader/Ghadir family.
ALARM anti-radiation missileAir-launched anti-radiation missileALARM is a British air-launched anti-radiation missile built for suppression of enemy air defenses, using pre-planned navigation and passive radar homing with direct and parachute-loiter attack modes. In the Yemen Civil War record, it appears as a UK-supplied Royal Saudi Air Force munition used during Saudi-led coalition air operations rather than as a fully documented radar-kill case.
Badr-1P guided rocketGuided artillery rocketThe Badr-1P is a Houthi-developed precision-guided solid-propellant rocket that appeared in 2018 and became part of the Yemen Civil War's short-range strike layer.
Badr-F guided rocketGuided artillery rocketThe Badr-F guided rocket is a Houthi-developed precision-guided artillery rocket in the Badr family, reported in 2019 with an air-burst warhead and use in Yemen Civil War cross-border strikes.Sources
IISS Open-Source Analysis of Iran's Missile and UAV Capabilities and ProliferationPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi rebels when they fired the Burkan-2H at Saudi targets; also supports the Qiam-1 base design, 800 km-class range, 500 kg separable warhead, and guidance augmentation. | Accessed: 2026-06-20CSIS Qiam-1Publisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi militants when they fired the Burkan-2H at Yanbu and Riyadh in 2017 after Qiam-1 transfers to Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-06-20CSIS Saudi Arabia Intercepts Ballistic Missile Over RiyadhPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi-Saleh forces when they launched a Burkan-2H toward Riyadh on November 4, 2017. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons Burkan 2.svgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Burkan 2.svg line drawing, an original CC BY-SA 4.0 work on Wikimedia Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons Qiam-1 (09).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Qiam-1 ceremony photo, a Commons upload sourced from Farsnews and licensed under CC BY 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons 2019 Sacred Defence Week parade (343).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the upgraded Qiam missile parade photo, a Commons upload attributed to Student News Agency. | Accessed: 2026-06-20