Munitions

Burkan-3 ballistic missile

Also known as
  • Borkan-3

Burkan-3 is the Houthi designation for a long-range liquid-fueled medium-range ballistic missile unveiled in August 2019. Open-source analysis links it to Iran's Qiam family, and later Houthi media used the Zulfiqar name for the same missile while analysts highlighted its extended range and reduced warhead mass.

Burkan-3 ballistic missile, Medium-range ballistic missile, Munitions
Image source: Burkan 2.svg - Wikimedia Commons

Role in Conflicts

How Burkan-3 And Zulfiqar Connect

Open-source reporting treats Burkan-3 as the Houthi label for a Qiam-derived missile family with longer propellant tanks and a smaller warhead mass. Iran Watch says Houthi media later started using Zulfiqar for the same system, while Breaking Defense noted the Borkan-3 spelling and identified the missile as a long-range Houthi variant built around the Qiam lineage.

NameWhat the sources say
Burkan-3 / Borkan-3Houthi footage in August 2019 introduced the missile publicly.
ZulfiqarLater Houthi reporting used this name for the same missile family.
Qiam lineageAnalysts linked the design to Iran's Qiam family and argued the longer range came with a lighter warhead.
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Iran
Type
Medium-range ballistic missile
Service note
Unveiled in 2019; used in the 2014 Yemen Civil War from 2019 onward
Designer
Iranian missile program
Designed
2019
Unit cost
Not publicly disclosed
Produced
2019-present
Number built
Not publicly disclosed
Developed from
Qiam-1

Specifications

Range
About 1,200 km
Payload
About 250 kg
Propulsion
Single-stage liquid-fueled rocket
Guidance
Short guidance section with a conical re-entry vehicle, consistent with Qiam-derived design features
Re-entry vehicle
Conical re-entry vehicle with a short adapter section
Variants
  • Zulfiqar
Launch Platforms

The same issue brief that covers Zolfaghar SRBMs also lists a fixed launch facility as an alternative launch platform for Burkan-3.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Fixed launch facility, Fixed silo launcher, Support EquipmentFixed launch facilityFixed launch facility

The MDAA issue brief names a fixed launch facility as an alternative launch platform for the Burkan-3/Zolfaghar extended-range MRBM line.

Sources: MDAA Zolfaghar SRBM issue brief

Timeline

Burkan-3 ballistic missile Key Events

  1. First public launch

    CSIS says the Houthis unveiled Burkan-3 in August 2019 and first launched it against Saudi Arabia on 1 August 2019, establishing it as the longest-range missile in the Houthi arsenal.

    Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

  2. Houthi media adopts the Zulfiqar name

    Iran Watch reports that Houthi media later began calling the missile Zulfiqar after it had already been in Houthi service since 2019.

    Sources: Iran Solidifies Missile Support to the Houthis

Media

Burkan-3 ballistic missile Images

Burkan-3 ballistic missile, Medium-range ballistic missile, Munitions - view 1
Source: Zulfiqar missile on display at Amirkabir University (07).jpg
Related Weapon Systems
Burkan-2H ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, MunitionsMunitionsBurkan-2H ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileThe Burkan-2H is the Houthi designation for a Qiam-1-derived short-range ballistic missile used for cross-border strikes from Yemen into Saudi Arabia during the 2014 Yemen Civil War. UN, CSIS, IISS, and rights-reporting sources connect the missile to attacks on Yanbu, King Khalid International Airport, Yamama Palace, and Riyadh-area targets, making it one of the clearest examples of Iranian missile technology appearing in the Houthi arsenal.
Qiam-1 / modified Qiam ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, ArtilleryArtilleryQiam-1 / modified Qiam ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileThe Qiam-1 is Iran's road-mobile, liquid-fueled short-range ballistic missile family derived from the Shahab-2, with a finless body and separable warhead that distinguish it from earlier Scud-derived missiles. Source reporting connects Qiam-type missiles to Iranian strikes in Syria against Islamic State targets and to the January 2020 Ayn al-Asad attack, while modified Qiam/Qiam-2 attribution remains analyst-dependent rather than an official Iranian model name.

Sources

Houthi 'Terror' Scuds Now Threaten Most Of Saudi ArabiaPublisher: Breaking Defense | Note: Supports Burkan-3 background, range and payload estimates, Iranian Qiam lineage, and 2014 Yemen Civil War use: the article says Houthi forces used Burkan-3 against Dammam. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Iran Solidifies Missile Support to the HouthisPublisher: Iran Watch | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi forces since 2019; the article says Burkan-3 had been in the Houthi arsenal since 2019 and that Iran built a customized Qiam variant for the group. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi forces in the August 2019 unveiling and first launch; the report also supports the Qiam-family analysis, long-range role, and the estimate that Burkan-3 became the longest-range missile in the Houthi arsenal. | Accessed: 2026-06-26Burkan 2.svg - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and the CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing context for the closest rights-clear Burkan-family schematic. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Zulfiqar missile on display at Amirkabir University (07).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for a public display photo of the Zulfiqar missile family. | Accessed: 2026-06-26MDAA Zolfaghar SRBM issue briefPublisher: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance | Note: Supports the Burkan-3/Zolfaghar fixed launch facility launch-platform comparison and the static-versus-road-mobile launch distinction. | Accessed: 2026-06-27