Artillery

Qaher-M2 ballistic missile

Also known as
  • Qaher-M2
  • Qaher M2
  • Qaher-2M
  • Qaher 2M
  • Qaher family

Qaher-M2 is the improved Houthi Qaher-family short-range ballistic missile derived from Yemeni S-75/SA-2 V-755 surface-to-air missile stocks. CSIS and other missile-proliferation reporting describe it as a March 2017 follow-on to Qaher-1, with reported 400 km range, a roughly 350 kg warhead, and repeated cross-border use against Saudi targets during the 2014 Yemen Civil War.

Qaher-M2 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Artillery
Image source: Great Prophet IV (26).jpg

Role in Conflicts

2014 Yemen Civil War
Long-Range Strike

Used by Houthi-aligned forces as an improved Qaher-family land-attack missile in the 2014 Yemen Civil War, with reported launches against Saudi targets at Khamis Mushait, Jizan, Najran, and Abha from 2017 into 2018; public accounts rely heavily on Houthi claims and Saudi or coalition interception reports.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Yemen
Type
Short-range ballistic missile
Service note
Reported from 2017 during the 2014 Yemen Civil War
Designer
Missile Research and Development Center (MRDC)
Designed
2017
Unit cost
Not publicly disclosed
Produced
Not publicly disclosed; first reported in 2017
Number built
Not publicly disclosed
Developed from
Qaher-1 and Yemeni V-755 / S-75 surface-to-air missile stocks

Specifications

Base Missile
Re-engineered from V-755 missiles used with the S-75/SA-2 air-defense system
Guidance
Unguided land-attack conversion in open-source reporting
Reported Range
About 400 km
Reported Warhead
About 350 kg conventional warhead class
Operational Role
Cross-border strike missile used against Saudi military, airport, and border-area targets
Conversion Lineage

Qaher-M2 is best read as part of a small conversion lineage rather than a normal export missile family. CSIS traces the Qaher line to V-755 missiles from Yemen's S-75/SA-2 stocks, and IISS notes Iran's Tondar-69 as another SA-2-derived surface-to-surface example that makes the conversion concept technically familiar in the region.

ElementCatalog linkReader context
Source missile stockS-75 Dvina / SA-2 Guideline, High-altitude surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseS-75 Dvina / SA-2 GuidelineYemeni V-755 missiles from the S-75 family provided the air-defense missile bodies later converted for land attack.
Earlier Qaher memberQaher-1 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, ArtilleryQaher-1 ballistic missileQaher-1 entered public reporting in late 2015 before the improved Qaher-M2 appeared in March 2017.
Public imagery caveatTondar-69 visual analogueThe open-license gallery images show Iran's Tondar-69, an SA-2-derived ballistic conversion, not a confirmed Qaher-M2 in Yemen.

Published Qaher-M2 performance figures are reported or claimed values. Public sources do not identify production totals, unit cost, or a detailed guidance package.

Sources: The Missile War in Yemen; Open-Source Analysis of Iran's Missile and UAV Capabilities and Proliferation; Great Prophet IV (26).jpg.

Variants

The Qaher line is a Houthi conversion family based on S-75/SA-2 missile stocks. Sources render the improved member as Qaher-M2 or Qaher-2M.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Qaher-1 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, ArtilleryQaher-1 ballistic missileEarlier V-755/S-75 land-attack conversion

Qaher-1 was fielded in late 2015; Qaher-M2 followed in March 2017 with greater reported range and warhead weight.

Sources: The Missile War in Yemen, Countering Iran's Missile Proliferation in Yemen

Timeline

Qaher-M2 ballistic missile Key Events

  1. Houthi missile research division formed

    CSIS describes a new Houthi missile force and MRDC-linked research effort that converted Yemeni V-755 stocks into Qaher-family land-attack rockets.

    Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

  2. Qaher-1 predecessor appears

    The Qaher-1 conversion was revealed and first fired in late 2015, creating the family that Qaher-M2 later improved.

    Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

  3. Qaher-M2 first reported in attack

    Washington Institute reporting identifies a March 28 attack as involving Qaher-M2 missiles with longer claimed range and a heavier warhead than Qaher-1.

    Sources: Countering Iran's Missile Proliferation in Yemen, The Missile War in Yemen, Yemen's ballistic missiles arsenal designed to deter enemy attack

  4. Jizan launch reported

    Defense Mirror, citing Houthi-run Saba, reported a Qaher-M2 launch at a Saudi command center in Jizan.

    Sources: Yemeni Rebels Fire Qaher-M2 Ballistic Missile At Saudi Military Positions in Jizan

  5. Najran launch intercepted

    CSIS Missile Threat reported that Saudi air defenses intercepted a Houthi Qaher-M2 launched toward Najran.

    Sources: Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Houthi Missile Targeting Najran

  6. Qaher-2M included in mixed missile attack reporting

    FDD's Long War Journal described Houthi reporting that a Qaher-2M was used against Abha airport during a broader missile attack into Saudi Arabia.

    Sources: A peek inside Houthi Rebel's recent missile strikes in Saudi Arabia

Media

Qaher-M2 ballistic missile Videos

Qaher-M2 ballistic missile Images

Qaher-M2 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Artillery - view 1
Source: Great Prophet IV (24).jpg
Qaher-M2 ballistic missile, Short-range ballistic missile, Artillery - view 2
Source: Great Prophet IV (31).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.
Quds-1 land-attack cruise missile, Land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsQuds-1 land-attack cruise missileLand-attack cruise missileThe Quds-1 is a Houthi land-attack cruise missile publicly displayed in Yemen in July 2019 and identified by U.S. sources as the 351 land-attack cruise missile. Open-source and UN-linked analysis describes a compact, ground-launched cruise missile powered by a TJ100-type turbojet and tied to Iranian design and supply networks despite Houthi claims of indigenous development. In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used the Quds-1 for long-range strikes against Saudi airport, desalination, and oil-infrastructure targets.
S-75 Dvina / SA-2 Guideline, High-altitude surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseAir DefenseS-75 Dvina / SA-2 GuidelineHigh-altitude surface-to-air missile systemThe S-75 Dvina, known to NATO as the SA-2 Guideline, is a Soviet command-guided surface-to-air missile system built around V-750/V-755 missiles, single-rail launchers, Spoon Rest acquisition radar, and Fan Song guidance radar. It became a defining Cold War high-altitude air-defense system in Vietnam and Arab-Israeli wars, where fixed SAM sites shaped strike planning and suppression tactics. In Yemen, surviving S-75 missile stocks reappeared less as intact air-defense batteries than as source missiles for Houthi-aligned Qaher and Muhit strike conversions.

Sources

The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports Qaher-family background, V-755/S-75 conversion lineage, MRDC context, first Qaher-M2 firing in March 2017, reported 400 km range, and reported 350 kg warhead. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Countering Iran's Missile Proliferation in YemenPublisher: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports the March 28, 2017 Qaher-M2 attack, reported 400 km range, reported 350 kg warhead, and the missile's role in Houthi cross-border attacks against Saudi targets. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Missiles Targeting Najran, JizanPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies Missile Defense Project | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports reported Houthi Qaher-M2 launches toward Jizan in 2017 and later Saudi reporting on Najran and Jizan interceptions in 2018. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Houthi Missile Targeting NajranPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies Missile Defense Project | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports a Houthi Qaher-M2 launch toward Najran on January 5, 2018, and Saudi air-defense interception reporting. | Accessed: 2026-06-29A peek inside Houthi Rebel's recent missile strikes in Saudi ArabiaPublisher: FDD's Long War Journal | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports Qaher-2M alias usage, S-75/SA-2 conversion context, and Houthi-reported Qaher-2M use against Abha airport in March 2018. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Open-Source Analysis of Iran's Missile and UAV Capabilities and ProliferationPublisher: International Institute for Strategic Studies | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports the Qaher-1/Qaher-2M conversion of SA-2 missiles for surface-to-surface use, their use against Saudi towns near the Yemeni border, and the Tondar-69 comparison. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Yemen's ballistic missiles arsenal designed to deter enemy attackPublisher: Saba News Agency | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: Houthi-run source used for official Houthi claims about Qaher-M2/MRDC development, March 28, 2017 reveal, reported 400 km range, reported 350 kg warhead, and claimed launches at King Khalid Air Base. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Yemeni Rebels Fire Qaher-M2 Ballistic Missile At Saudi Military Positions in JizanPublisher: Defense Mirror | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports October 2017 reporting that Houthi rebels fired a Qaher-M2 toward a Saudi command center in Jizan and repeats the S-75 conversion and reported range/warhead figures. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Great Prophet IV (26).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for an Iranian Tondar-69 launch image used as a visual analogue for an SA-2-derived ballistic conversion; it is not a confirmed Qaher-M2 image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Great Prophet IV (24).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for an Iranian Tondar-69 image used as a visual analogue for the Qaher-M2's SA-2-derived conversion lineage. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Great Prophet IV (31).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for a third Iranian Tondar-69 image used as a visual analogue for the Qaher-M2's SA-2-derived conversion lineage. | Accessed: 2026-06-29