Aircraft & UAVs

Rased UAV

Also known as
  • Rased
  • Rased-1
  • Rased 1
  • Skywalker X-8
  • Skywalker X8
  • Skywalker-8

Rased UAV is the Houthi designation for a Skywalker X-8 commercial flying-wing drone adapted for reconnaissance in the 2014 Yemen Civil War. UN reporting identified downed Rased examples in 2017 and assessed the airframe as a commercially available Skywalker-8, while CSIS and PAX describe the type as a short-range ISR and battlefield-surveillance drone rather than a purpose-built military UAV.

Rased UAV, Fixed-wing reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Skywalker X8 2120mm UAV Fixed Wing Drone

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Type
Fixed-wing reconnaissance UAV
Service note
2010s 2014 Yemen Civil War service
Designer
Skywalker Technology Limited
Designed
2010s
Unit cost
Commercial off-the-shelf pricing varies
Produced
2010s
Number built
Unknown

Specifications

Length
About 1.0-1.1 m
Wingspan
About 2.2-2.24 m
Endurance
Up to 120 minutes
Range
Up to 35 km
Airframe
Flying-wing Skywalker X-8 commercial airframe
Launch and recovery
Catapult launch with glide or parachute recovery on commercial X8 configurations
Identification basis
UN comparison used design features and photogrammetry against Skywalker X-8 dimensions
Timeline

Rased UAV Key Events

  1. Downed Rased documented at Nihm

    The UN Panel of Experts listed a downed Rased UAV at Nihm among 2017 examples seized by the Saudi-led coalition.

    Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, S/2018/594

  2. Additional Rased examples reported

    The same UN annex recorded downed Rased UAVs at Sana'a and Kirsh, Lahij on 20 September 2017.

    Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, S/2018/594

  3. UN panel identifies the airframe

    The UN Panel assessed the Rased as a commercially available Skywalker-8 manufactured by Skywalker Technology Limited of China.

    Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, S/2018/594

Rased And The Houthi UAV Inventory

Rased sits at the commercial-airframe end of the Houthi UAV inventory. It is documented as a small ISR platform, distinct from related Houthi UAV records such as Qasef-1, Qasef-2K, and the Samad reconnaissance line.

QuestionSource-backed answerWhy it matters
What is the underlying airframe?The UN Panel assessed Rased as a Skywalker-8/Skywalker X-8 commercial flying-wing UAV from China.Explains why the record uses commercial airframe specifications and product imagery.
How was it identified?The UN compared design features and dimensions, including a Houthi-declared 2.2 m wingspan and 1.0 m length against X-8 photogrammetry.Gives the designation a stronger basis than name similarity alone.
What role did it fill?PAX and CSIS describe Houthi Rased/Skywalker X-8 use mainly for ISR, reconnaissance, battlefield surveillance, and target-planning support.Separates Rased from Houthi one-way attack UAVs and longer-range strike drones.

Sources: UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, S/2018/594; Violent Skies; The Missile War in Yemen.

Media

Rased UAV Images

Rased UAV, Fixed-wing reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: Skywalker X8 2120mm UAV Fixed Wing Drone
Rased UAV, Fixed-wing reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: Skywalker X8 2120mm UAV Fixed Wing Drone
Related Weapon Systems
FPV drones, First-person-view small UAV / one-way attack drone, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsFPV dronesFirst-person-view small UAV / one-way attack droneFPV drones are small first-person-view UAVs adapted from racing-drone and commercial quadcopter technology into tactical reconnaissance and one-way attack systems. Russia and Ukraine turned them into mass battlefield consumables, while later reporting from Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Syria, Sudan, and Mexico shows the same control-link, payload, and low-cost adaptation pattern spreading to state forces, insurgents, and organized armed groups.
Armed commercial quadcopter drone, Weaponized commercial quadcopter UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsArmed commercial quadcopter droneWeaponized commercial quadcopter UAVArmed commercial quadcopter drones are civilian off-the-shelf multirotor UAVs adapted for battlefield surveillance, target observation, propaganda filming, and short-range explosive delivery. In the Lake Chad basin, reporting links ISWAP and Boko Haram-linked forces to a late-2024 shift from ISR and propaganda drone use toward armed quadcopter attacks carrying locally made or locally fabricated grenades against Nigerian military positions in Borno and Yobe.
Improvised drones, Improvised military drone class, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsImprovised dronesImprovised military drone classImprovised drones are locally modified or field-assembled uncrewed aerial systems built from commercial quadcopters, FPV airframes, agricultural-drone parts, and workshop-made payload fittings. The record tracks a distributed weapon class rather than one factory model: Islamic State, Ukrainian and Russian forces, Hamas, Israeli units in Gaza, and Myanmar armed actors all adapted small UAVs for reconnaissance, bomb drops, assault support, and low-cost strike roles.

Sources

UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, S/2018/594Publisher: United Nations Security Council | Note: Direct conflict-use source for 2014 Yemen Civil War: documents crashed or downed Rased UAVs seized in 2017 and identifies the system as a Skywalker-8 commercial UAV manufactured by Skywalker Technology Limited of China. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Skywalker X8 2120mm UAV Fixed Wing DronePublisher: UAVMODEL | Note: Supports the Skywalker X-8 product identity, current commercial product imagery, and published data for the commercial airframe family underlying Rased UAV. | Accessed: 2026-06-29The Missile War in YemenPublisher: CSIS Missile Defense Project | Note: Direct conflict-use source for 2014 Yemen Civil War: Houthi fighters used Rased UAV for battlefield surveillance, and the report identifies it as a commercially available Skywalker X-8 drone with published length, wingspan, endurance, and range figures. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Violent SkiesPublisher: PAX | Note: Direct conflict-use source for 2014 Yemen Civil War: Houthi rebels used rebranded Skywalker X8 drones as Rased models in Yemen mainly for ISR and reconnaissance missions. | Accessed: 2026-06-29