Naval Systems

Mobile coastal launcher

Also known as
  • Houthi mobile coastal launcher
  • Houthi truck-mounted anti-ship missile launcher
  • C.801 truck launcher
  • C-801 truck launcher
  • Al-Mandab coastal defense launcher

The Houthi mobile coastal launcher is a road-mobile shore-launch arrangement for anti-ship cruise missiles, built around recovered Yemeni C.801 launch equipment, trucks, and surface-search radars. It links the Al-Mandab-1/C-801 family to 2014 Yemen Civil War coastal defense and later appears in 2023 Red Sea Crisis reporting as Houthi truck-mounted anti-ship missiles and launchers threatened shipping from Houthi-controlled Yemen.

Mobile coastal launcher, Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles, Naval Systems
Image source: EDR Magazine: Houthi maritime strike capabilities

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Yemen
Type
Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles
Service note
2015-present

Specifications

Mobility
Truck-mounted and road-mobile
Launcher base
Recovered C.801 launchers installed on several trucks
Fire control
Coupled with surface-search radars for target cuing
Missile family
Al-Mandab-1 / C-801 anti-ship cruise missile
Later missile relationship
Reported alongside Al-Mandab-2 / C-802-family truck-launched anti-ship cruise missiles
Reported missile range
Up to 40 km when launched from the mobile coastal launcher
Launched Missiles

These sources describe the launcher as the truck-mounted coastal battery used to fire Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles from Yemen's coast.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsAl-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missile

National Interest says Yemeni sailors recovered C.801 launchers and mounted missiles on trucks with surface-search radars, while Army Recognition and Topwar describe Al-Mandab-1 as fired from a mobile coastal launcher.

Sources: National Interest: Houthi missiles that could sink a navy warship, Army Recognition: Red Sea arsenal analysis, Topwar: Houthi anti-ship weapons review

Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missile

RUSI states that the Al-Mandab-2 and other Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles are truck-launched, which explicitly ties this launcher to that missile family.

Sources: Securing the Red Sea: How Can Houthi Maritime Strikes be Countered?

Launcher Identification Notes

The sources describe a field-adapted Houthi coastal launch arrangement rather than a single standardized factory launcher. The record is scoped to the truck-mounted launcher role and links the carried missiles as separate catalog entries.

Source-backed pointCatalog treatmentPrimary sources
Recovered C.801 launchers and missiles were mounted on trucks with surface-search radars.The launcher is treated as a Houthi-built mobile coastal firing platform, not as the original shipboard C.801 installation.National Interest; CTC
Al-Mandab-1 is reported as fired from this mobile coastal launcher, with a short reported range from that launcher.Al-Mandab-1 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsAl-Mandab-1 remains the missile entry; this page covers the truck-mounted launch system.Army Recognition; Topwar
Al-Mandab-2 and related Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles are described as truck-launched in Red Sea reporting.Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsAl-Mandab-2 is linked as a launched missile where the source explicitly supports the relationship.RUSI; CENTCOM
Timeline

Mobile coastal launcher Key Events

  1. Truck-mounted anti-ship missile destroyed

    CENTCOM reported destroying one truck-mounted anti-ship missile in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen before it could threaten ships in the Red Sea.

    Sources: CENTCOM March 8 Red Sea Update

  2. Anti-ship cruise missile launchers targeted

    CENTCOM reported destroying two Houthi anti-ship cruise missile launchers in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen during the 2023 Red Sea Crisis.

    Sources: CENTCOM June 11 Update

Media

Mobile coastal launcher Images

Mobile coastal launcher, Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Sohu: Houthi Al-Mandab-1 parade
Related Weapon Systems
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileAl-Mandab-2 is a Houthi designation for an anti-ship cruise missile displayed in 2022 and associated by UN, defense, and component-analysis sources with the C-802-derived Iranian Noor/Ghader/Ghadir family. Houthi-affiliated media claimed a seven-meter missile with a 300-kilometer range and micro-turbojet propulsion, while outside assessments differ on whether the public evidence best matches Ghader, Ghadir, or a broader C-802 derivative.
4K51 Rubezh coastal-defense missile, Mobile coastal-defense missile system, Naval SystemsNaval Systems4K51 Rubezh coastal-defense missileMobile coastal-defense missile systemThe 4K51 Rubezh is a Soviet mobile coastal-defense system that puts radar, fire-control equipment, and twin P-15 Termit launch containers on a single MAZ-543-family 8x8 vehicle. Its compact TELAR layout made it exportable and self-contained compared with earlier Soviet coastal batteries; in the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Houthi forces acquired Rubezh/P-15 stocks from Yemeni military inventories and continued to display the type as part of their anti-shipping arsenal.

Sources

CTC: Assessing the Houthi War EffortPublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports Houthi takeover of Red Sea coastal missile batteries and the salvage/modernization context behind the mobile coastal launcher. | Accessed: 2026-06-23National Interest: Houthi missiles that could sink a navy warshipPublisher: The National Interest | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports Houthi-aligned forces adapting recovered C.801 launchers and missiles onto trucks with surface-search radars for coastal anti-ship use. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Army Recognition: Red Sea arsenal analysisPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the mobile coastal launcher description and the reported maximum range of Al-Mandab-1 when launched from it. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Topwar: Houthi anti-ship weapons reviewPublisher: Topwar | Note: Supports the mobile coastal launcher description and the reported maximum range of Al-Mandab-1 when launched from it. | Accessed: 2026-06-23EDR Magazine: Houthi maritime strike capabilitiesPublisher: EDR Magazine | Note: Supports background on Houthi maritime strike capabilities and the truck-launched Noor/C-802-family launcher image used on this page. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Oryx: A Maritime Menace The Houthi NavyPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports the Houthi truck-based launcher context and the article's listing of Qader/Al-Mandab-2 among the Houthi anti-ship missile systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Securing the Red Sea: How Can Houthi Maritime Strikes be Countered?Publisher: Royal United Services Institute | Note: Supports the truck-launched anti-ship cruise missile relationship for the mobile coastal launcher, including Al-Mandab-2 family use with truck-mounted platforms. | Accessed: 2026-06-28CENTCOM March 8 Red Sea UpdatePublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: supports Houthi movement use of truck-mounted anti-ship missiles in Houthi-controlled Yemen as launch threats against ships in the Red Sea. | Accessed: 2026-06-29CENTCOM June 11 UpdatePublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2023 Red Sea Crisis: supports Houthi anti-ship cruise missile launchers in Houthi-controlled Yemen as launch threats during the 2023 Red Sea Crisis. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Sohu: Houthi Al-Mandab-1 paradePublisher: Sohu / itc.cn | Note: Supports image provenance for the Houthi parade photo showing Al-Mandab-1 missiles on truck-mounted launchers. | Accessed: 2026-06-23