Ballistic missiles the Houthis call Typhoon
Jan 13, 2024. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Yemen's
Houthi rebels, who vowed to retaliate against US and British strikes early
Friday against key military sites, have built up a significant arsenal,
including cruise missiles and drones.
Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, the Iran-backed Houthis have carried out a spate of attacks in the Red Sea, claiming to be targeting ships with Israeli links in solidarity with the Palestinians.
After
repeatedly warning there would be consequences if the attacks continued, US and
British forces struck 60 targets at 16 Houthi locations early Friday in what
they said was a bid to prevent further disruption to the vital shipping lane.
The Houthis
have been steadily developing their military capabilities since 2014, when they
seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Their
arsenal of weapons made with Iranian equipment or components includes ballistic
and cruise missiles as well as drones, according to defence experts.
Ballistic missiles
That
includes ballistic missiles the Houthis call Typhoon – a rebranded version
of the Iranian Qadr missile with a range of 1,600 to 1,900 kilometres (995 to
1,180 miles), according to Fabian Hinz of the International Institute for
Strategic Studies.
"It is
very inaccurate, at least in the version they've shown us, but it should be
able to reach Israel," Hinz told AFP.
Iran carried
out tests of its Qadr missiles in 2016, hitting targets about 1,400 kilometres
(870 miles) away.
Mohammed
Albasha, senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group, said the
Houthis unveiled their Typhoon missile arsenal only weeks before the
unprecedented October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.
The rebels,
who control much of north Yemen, also have Iran's Quds cruise missile,
according to Hinz.
There are
different versions of the Quds, some of which have a range of about 1,650
kilometres - enough to reach Israel, he said.
In 2022,
the Houthis said they used Quds 2 cruise missiles to hit oil facilities in Abu
Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The
powered, guided missiles traversed more than 1,126 kilometres from northern
Yemen.
The Houthis
also used the Quds 2 missile in 2020 to strike facilities in Saudi Arabia.
Drones
Saudi
Arabia and the United States have repeatedly accused Iran of supplying the
Houthis with drones, missiles and other weapons, a charge Tehran
denies.
The Houthis
say they manufacture their drones domestically, although analysts say they
contain smuggled Iranian components.
Their
arsenal also includes the Iranian Shahed-136 drones that Russia is using in its
war on Ukraine, according to Hinz.
They have a
range of about 2,000 kilometres, Hinz said.
Another
drone model, the Samad-3, is also available to them, according to Hinz.
"We
don't know the exact range, but it should be about 1,600 kilometres," he
said.
The Houthis
have used the Samad-3 drones in attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The Samad-3
can be fitted with 18 kilogrammes (40 pounds) of explosives, according to rebel
media sources and analysts.
The
Houthis' drones use GPS guidance and "fly autonomously along
pre-programmed waypoints" towards their targets, experts from the Center
for Strategic and International Studies wrote in a 2020 report.
(AFP)
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