Author: Li Zongshuo, Zhang Binyang, Yang Mingrui
On November 8, 2023 local time, the Houthis announced that they had shot down a US Air Force MQ9 Reaper drone off the coast of Yemen, and also released the whole process of locking the target, launching missiles, and shooting down the drone under the monitoring of thermal imaging instruments. Reaper drones have carried out thousands of targeted killings in major hotspots around the world, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen. As one of the most advanced drones in the world, it hit a wall in Yemen, which shows the strength of the Houthi air defense system. So what are the main components of the Houthi air defense system? What are its advantages and disadvantages? Is it capable enough to deal with air attacks?
Weapons to protect the country: the evolution and innovation of Houthi air defense systems
After taking control of Yemen's capital, Sana'a, in 2014, the Houthis were able to take control of most of the weapons arsenal left behind by Yemeni government forces, including Soviet SAMs surface-to-air missiles and their accompanying radars. Since then, the Houthis have taken innovative measures to convert Russian-made thermal air-seeking air-to-air missiles, such as the AA-10 Alamo-B and AA-11, into surface-to-air missiles. The most widely used missile by the Houthis, the AA-10 Alamo is a highly advanced anti-aircraft missile used in Russian fighter jets of the first to fourth generations. And it is possible to attack air targets at any time and in any weather conditions, but its biggest problem is the short range. The Houthis have converted them into surface-to-air anti-aircraft weapons and deployed them in hidden mountains and suburbs, allowing them to "hunt" aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles at relatively close range through ambushes. The Houthis also improved the weapons of the Soviet S-75 system and developed the Lightning defense missile, which was superior in several aspects such as accuracy, strike range and destructive power.
Matla ul-Fajr-2雷达
Iran's assistance has also played a pivotal role. Since 2015, Iran has supplied the Houthis with the "Matla ul-Fajr-2" and "Kashef-2" meter-band radars operating in the centimeter band. Among them, the Matla ul-Fajr-2 radar is based on the Chinese YLC-8V (derived from the Soviet P-12) design, built on modern solid-state elements and uses digital technologies, advanced display and information transmission systems. The Matla ul-Fajr-2 radar is said to be able to effectively detect aircraft made with elements of low radar visibility with an instrumental range of up to 300 km for high-altitude targets.
Iran transferred a large number of Misagh-2 MANPADS man-portable air defense systems to Yemen. At the same time, with the technical support of Iran, the Borkan-H2 missile was launched, and the production of the 3M9 missile, which is part of the ammunition of the Kvadrat air defense system, is gradually resuming production. In 2022, Iran's Taer medium-range missiles entered service with the Houthi anti-aircraft missile forces, and the "358" missiles were also equipped in the Houthis under the designation Saqr-1. In 2022, Iranian Thar medium-range missiles entered service with the Ansar Allah anti-aircraft missile unit. In addition, the Houthis demonstrated Miraj anti-aircraft missiles and fire control systems. According to experts, the system uses the RPK-23M radar instrumentation system disassembled from the ZSU-23-4 Shilka and is equipped with additional acceleration devices, the dimensions of which should have a range of more than 5 km, and its characteristics may be close to the Soviet 9M37 missile defense system used as part of the Strela-10.
Both advantages and disadvantages: the advantages and disadvantages of the Houthi air defense system
The most striking feature of the Houthi air defense system is its powerful medium- and short-range interception capabilities. The Houthi air defense system is able to react quickly when enemy aircraft approach, carry out counterattacks, effectively reduce losses from enemy air strikes. In the war in Yemen, Yemen's Houthi rebels demonstrated their corresponding air defense strength, successfully shooting down dozens of warplanes, helicopter gunships and drone gunships of the Saudi coalition, winning a place in the air domain for themselves and demonstrating their strong response capabilities in the war.
Similarly, the shortcomings of the Houthi air defense system are significant. In general, the Houthi air defense systems have a relatively short missile range. Most of them are equipped with long-outdated Soviet SAM missile systems and their associated radars, such as SA-2, SA-3, SA-6, SA-9 and man-portable air defense systems. These missiles all have a range of 40 kilometers, and only the Saiyad-2C missiles provided by Iran have a range of 120 kilometers. In addition, there is no permanent radar field over Yemen, and the P-18, P-19 and PRV-13 radars equipped with them are outdated and only open irregularly, while the Iranian-made Matla ul-Fajr-2 and Kashef-2 radars are mainly used to detect low-altitude air targets, making it difficult to effectively intercept and strike long-range and high-altitude targets.
A long way to go: the dilemma and challenges of the Houthi air defense system
Recently, the U.S. military launched a large-scale airstrike on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, firing more than 150 missiles and precision-guided bombs, and conducting two rounds of strikes against 28 targets. The Houthis attempted to intercept missiles using air defense systems, but due to their short range and other technical problems, more than 40 missiles, including Iranian-supplied missiles, were unsuccessful in intercepting the next missile or warplane.
Why did the Houthi air defense system, which had shown great strength in past wars, completely fail in this air raid? Judging from external factors, the US military has a powerful electromagnetic suppression capability. The EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft carried on board the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier can detect jamming and destroy the Houthi radar system within one minute, and can effectively jam radars and various electronic products at a range of 160 kilometers. Judging from the shortcomings of the Houthis themselves, the anti-aircraft missiles they are equipped with are shorter in range than those of the US military missiles and bombs. U.S. fighter jets are equipped with precision-guided bombs with a range of more than 50 kilometers and can be safely launched outside the range of Houthi anti-aircraft missiles. And the long-range Saiyad-2C missile in the Houthi air defense system is the product of reverse engineering of the US missile, which is completely suppressed by the US military's electronic warfare.
The Houthi air defense system has indeed successfully demonstrated its capabilities in previous wars, but it is unable to cope with the high-tech weapons and complex tactics of the US military. The airstrikes illustrate the challenges faced by the Houthis' traditional air defense systems in the face of electronic warfare and high-tech weapons.
This shows that it is not feasible for the Houthis to rely only on modified old missiles and limited air defense capabilities, and they need to explore more and more flexible defense strategies, improve their air defense capabilities by improving the anti-jamming ability of radar, introducing more advanced air defense weapons, and developing diversified tactical systems.
The importance of air defense systems in modern warfare is self-evident, and the Houthis' demonstrated air defense capabilities and challenges provide a lesson for them. With the continuous evolution of the war situation and military science and technology, the air defense system needs to be continuously improved and upgraded to adapt to the complex and changeable battlefield environment. In addition to technological improvement, it is necessary to pay more attention to the improvement of tactical and strategic levels, and adopt more flexible and diverse response methods to ensure its own safety and superiority in the air domain. Only by constantly innovating and improving integrated air defense capabilities can air defense systems better fulfill their defense missions.