Aircraft & UAVs

Hudhud-1 UAV

Also known as
  • Hoopoe-1
  • Hudhud 1

The Hudhud-1 UAV, also reported as Hoopoe-1, is a Yemeni short-range reconnaissance drone unveiled in 2017 as one of four reported domestically designed and manufactured Houthi-aligned UAVs. Open-source reporting places it at roughly 1.5 meters long, with a 1.9-meter wingspan and about 90 minutes of endurance.

Hudhud-1 UAV, Reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Yemeni Army Unveils Indigenous Drones

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Yemen
Type
Reconnaissance UAV
Service note
2014 Yemen Civil War, 2017-present
Designer
Yemen's Military Manufacturing Directorate
Designed
2017
Unit cost
Not publicly documented
Produced
2017-present
Number built
Not publicly confirmed

Specifications

Length
1.5 m
Wingspan
1.9 m
Endurance
90 minutes
Range
30 km
Mission
Reconnaissance and battlefield observation
Signature
Small radar cross-section and low thermal emission
2017 Unveiling Context

Press TV and later USIP analysis place Hudhud-1 inside the February 2017 Houthi drone reveal, which also included the strike-focused Qasef-1 and the reconnaissance Rased. That matters because Hudhud-1 was introduced as part of an emerging local UAV package rather than as a stand-alone prototype.

SystemRole in the revealWhy it helps explain Hudhud-1
Hudhud-1Light reconnaissance UAVPress TV described it as a 90-minute drone with a 30 km radius, a 1.9 m wingspan, and a 1.5 m hull length.
Qasef-1 loitering munition / UAV, Loitering munition / UAV, Aircraft & UAVsQasef-1Combat droneThe same report identified Qasef-1 as the only unveiled combat aircraft in the batch.
Rased UAV, Fixed-wing reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsRased UAVReconnaissance and battlefield observationUAS Vision described Rased as a drone for aerial monitoring, observation, and geophysical surveying.

Source labels: Yemeni army unveils new indigenous combat, reconnaissance drones; Yemeni Army Unveils Indigenous Drones; Iran’s Drone Transfers to Proxies.

Timeline

Hudhud-1 UAV Key Events

  1. Public unveiling in Yemen

    Press TV reported that Yemeni forces unveiled four domestically designed and manufactured drones, including Hudhud-1, and described Hudhud-1 as a 90-minute reconnaissance UAV with a 30 km operating radius.

    Sources: Yemeni army unveils new indigenous combat, reconnaissance drones

  2. Later inventory recap

    USIP's Iran Primer still listed Hudhud-1 among Houthi reconnaissance drones and said the U.N. panel reported it might have been indigenously developed in Yemen.

    Sources: Iran’s Drone Transfers to Proxies

Related Weapon Systems
RQ-11 Raven UAV, Small unmanned aircraft system, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsRQ-11 Raven UAVSmall unmanned aircraft systemThe RQ-11 Raven is a hand-launched AeroVironment small unmanned aircraft system for tactical ISR, derived from earlier Pointer-related work into a smaller backpackable design. The RQ-11A designation covered the early Raven air vehicle, while the RQ-11B/Raven B became the Army-selected upgraded SUAV with improved control-system, sensor, endurance, targeting, and interoperability features. Current AeroVironment material describes Raven B as a lightweight Group 1 system with a stabilized EO/IR payload, 10 km range, and more than 75 minutes of endurance, while 2023 U.S. Army reporting still described upgraded Ravens in training for reconnaissance and call-for-fire support.
Molniya, One-way attack UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMolniyaOne-way attack UAVMolniya is a Russian low-cost fixed-wing FPV UAV family used in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War for one-way attacks, reconnaissance, targeting support, and experimental carrier roles. Ukrainian intelligence, UNITED24, and Business Insider reporting describe a modular aircraft-type design built from inexpensive materials, with Molniya-2 emerging as the enlarged twin-engine baseline for later Lightning 2 export branding, Molniya-2R reconnaissance, fiber-optic, machine-vision, Lightning 13 / Molniya-13, and Lightning P / Molniya-P adaptations attributed in 2026 reporting to Atlant Aero.

Sources

Yemeni Army Unveils Indigenous DronesPublisher: UAS Vision | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: reports Yemeni forces unveiled Hudhud-1 / Hoopoe-1 for collecting information on Hadi-aligned and Saudi troop positions and movements; also supports the alias, reported domestic-manufacture claim, reconnaissance-drone caption, and traceable photo provenance. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Yemeni army unveils new indigenous combat, reconnaissance dronesPublisher: Press TV | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: reports Yemeni forces unveiled Hudhud-1 among drones intended to collect information on Hadi-aligned and Saudi troop positions and movements; also supports the reported 90-minute endurance, 1.9-meter wingspan, and 1.5-meter hull length. | Accessed: 2026-07-04The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: CSIS identifies Hudhud-1 as a Houthi reconnaissance UAV in the Yemen missile and UAV campaign, with range and endurance details and image context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Proxy Warfare in Strategic Competition: Military ImplicationsPublisher: RAND | Note: Supports the broader Houthi ISR-UAV inventory and the use of UAVs to locate opposition forces before ground attacks and to correct artillery fire in Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Iran’s Drone Transfers to ProxiesPublisher: United States Institute of Peace | Note: Supports the later open-source recap of Hudhud-1 as a light-weight Houthi reconnaissance drone and the U.N. panel's view that it might have been indigenously developed in Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Flight Performance Analysis of the Samad Attack Drones Operated by Houthi Armed ForcesPublisher: Science & Global Security | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: describes Ansar Allah's Hudhud-1 as a reconnaissance vehicle in use before 2018. | Accessed: 2026-07-04