Profile
- Type
- Anti-ship cruise missile
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Origin
- China
- Service note
- Late 1980s export service; documented in the Yemen Civil War
Munitions
C-801 anti-ship missile
The C-801 is China's export version of the YJ-8, a solid-rocket, sea-skimming anti-ship missile that entered Yemeni inventories before the civil war and was later assessed as likely used by Houthi forces in the 2016 Bab el-Mandab attacks.
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Built in
- China
Service History
- In service
- The YJ-8 entered Chinese service in 1987; the export C-801 was introduced the same year and later appeared in Yemeni service.
- Used by
- Yemeni Navy, Houthi-aligned forces
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy (CASIC Third Academy)
- Designed
- 1976-1985
- Built in
- China
- Variants
- YJ-8, YJ-8A
Specifications
- Range
- 42 km
- Warhead
- 165 kg
- Launch weight
- 815 kg
- Length
- 5.81 m
- Diameter
- 0.36 m
- Propulsion
- Solid rocket motor
- Guidance
- Inertial navigation with active radar terminal homing
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Houthi-aligned forcesRole: Coastal anti-ship strike missile
Yemen Civil War: Houthi forces used the C-801 family in the October 2016 Bab el-Mandab attacks; CSIS says they most likely fired a radar-guided C-801 or C-802 from the coastline.
Related Weapon Systems
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.
C-802 anti-ship missileAnti-ship cruise missileThe C-802 is a Chinese export anti-ship cruise missile built by CASIC's Third Academy. In Yemen Civil War reporting, it is the class believed to have been used by Houthi-aligned forces in the October 2016 Red Sea attacks on HSV-2 Swift and USS Mason..jpg?width=480)
Quds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileThe Quds-Z-0 is a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile unveiled in 2023 as an anti-shipping derivative of the Iranian Paveh/Quds land-attack family. Open-source analysis describes it as EO/IR-guided, likely produced in Iran or Yemen with Iranian technical support, and fielded in Yemen Civil War maritime-strike displays.
Sayyad anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileThe Sayyad is a Houthi-fielded anti-ship cruise missile first displayed in Sana'a in 2023 and linked by analysts to Iran's Paveh/Project 351 cruise-missile lineage. In the Yemen Civil War, it added a long-range naval strike option to the Houthi arsenal and was reported in the Red Sea campaign.Sources
A Low-Visibility Force MultiplierPublisher: National Defense University Press | Note: Supports the C-801's Chinese development, CASIC Third Academy manufacture, and core specifications for the YJ-8/C-801 family. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The Missile War in YemenPublisher: CSIS Missile Defense Project | Note: Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi forces in the October 2016 Bab el-Mandab attacks; CSIS says they most likely fired a radar-guided C-801 or C-802 from the coastline. | Accessed: 2026-06-20YJ-8 Missile 20220203.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing; this CC BY-SA 4.0 file depicts the YJ-8/C-801 family. | Accessed: 2026-06-20