Profile
- Type
- Short-range ballistic missile
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Origin
- Yemen
- Service note
- 2015-present
Artillery
Qaher-1 ballistic missile
Qaher-1 is the Houthi-aligned forces' Yemeni conversion of Soviet S-75/V-755 surface-to-air missiles into a land-attack ballistic rocket during the Yemen Civil War. The system mattered because it gave the movement a locally modified, cross-border strike option against Saudi targets starting in late 2015.
- Conflict side
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Built in
- Yemen
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Service History
- In service
- Fielded in late 2015 after Houthi conversion of Yemeni S-75/V-755 stocks; an improved Qaher-M2 variant followed.
- Used by
- Houthi-aligned forces
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- Houthi Missile Research and Development Center
- Designed
- 2015
- Built in
- Yemen
- Produced
- 2015-present
- Number built
- Not publicly disclosed
- Variants
- Qaher-M2
Specifications
- Basis
- Converted from Yemeni S-75/V-755 surface-to-air missile stocks.
- Guidance
- Unguided free-flight / land-attack rocket.
- Range
- Up to 250 km.
- Warhead
- About 200 kg payload.
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Houthi-aligned forcesRole: Cross-border land-attack missile
Used by Houthi-aligned forces in the Yemen Civil War after they converted Yemeni S-75/V-755 missiles into the Qaher-1 and fired them against Saudi targets.
Qaher-1 ballistic missile Images
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Related Weapon Systems
Qaher-M2 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileQaher-M2 is a Houthi-improved short-range ballistic missile derived from the Soviet S-75/V-755 family and used in cross-border strikes from Yemen into Saudi Arabia during the Yemen Civil War. Open-source reporting describes it as a March 2017 upgrade with a longer reported range and heavier warhead than Qaher-1.
Burkan-1 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBurkan-1 is the Houthi designation for a locally upgraded Scud-family short-range ballistic missile unveiled in 2016 and used for cross-border strikes from Yemen into Saudi Arabia during the Yemen Civil War.
Burkan-3 ballistic missileMedium-range ballistic missileBurkan-3 is the Houthi name for a long-range liquid-fueled ballistic missile unveiled in August 2019. Open-source analysis links it to Iran's Qiam lineage, and Houthi forces used it in Yemen Civil War strikes that expanded their reach to Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast.
Hwasong-6 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileThe Hwasong-6 is a North Korean Scud-C-derived short-range ballistic missile with a longer range and smaller payload than earlier Scud-B types. In the Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used Scud-C/Hwasong-6-class missiles for cross-border ballistic strikes against Saudi Arabia, making the system part of the conflict's long-range missile and air-defense record..png?width=480)
Iranian ballistic missilesBallistic missile familyIranian ballistic missiles are the long-range strike arm of Iran's arsenal. In the United States-Iran Conflict, official U.S. releases documented Iranian ballistic-missile attacks on Al-Udeid Air Base in June 2025 and toward Kuwait and Bahrain in June 2026, while leaving the exact 2026 missile models publicly unidentified..jpg?width=480)
Qiam-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. Open-source analysis links the family, including a modified Qiam variant sometimes called Qiam-2, to Iran's January 2020 retaliatory strike on U.S. forces at Ayn al-Asad Air Base during the United States-Iran Conflict.Sources
UN Panel of Experts on Yemen 2018Publisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi-aligned forces after the Missile Research and Development Center converted around 200 V-755 SAMs into Qaher-1 land-attack rockets and fielded them in late 2015. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Countering Iran's Missile Proliferation in YemenPublisher: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Note: Yemen Civil War: used by Houthi-aligned forces in cross-border strikes on Saudi targets, including Khamis Mushait, with Qaher-1 free-flight missiles launched at targets up to 250 km inside Saudi Arabia. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Great Prophet IV (26).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the primary missile-family photo used on the entry. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Great Prophet IV (31).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the second gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20SA-2 Guideline-S-75 Dvina-IMG 6381.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA licensing for the SA-2 lineage reference image in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-20