The al-Najm al-Thaqib (Arabic:النجم الثاقب, "piercing star") is a Yemeni missile system developed by the Houthis and revealed on 26 May 2015.[1] The Houthis claimed that these missiles could violate the blockade imposed by UN resolution 2216 imposed by the Arab Coalition.[3] American reports suggest that this missile was designed to attack nearby targets like Jizan without expending their diminishing stock of longer range missiles.[1] It is somewhat similar to Iranian Oghab missiles,[3] however it lacks fins.[3][2] All civil airports in Jizan, Asir and Najran have been closed due to the risk of missile strikes since July 2015.[1]
| Al-Najm al-Thaqib/النجم الثاقب | |
|---|---|
| Type | Rocket artillery[1] |
| Place of origin | Yemen |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Houthis |
| Wars | Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) |
| Production history | |
| Variants | al-Najm al-Thaqib-1 al-Najm al-Thaqib-2 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 3 metres[2] |
Operational range | al-Najm al-Thaqib 1-45 km[2] al-Najm al-Thaqib 2-75 km[2] |
| References | |
Characteristics
editAl-Najm al-Thaqib 1
editAl-Najm al-Thaqib 1 has a range of 45 km and a warhead of 50 kg explosive.[3][2]
Al-Najm al-Thaqib 2
editAl-Najm al-Thaqib 2 has a range of 75 km and a warhead of 75 kg explosive.[3][2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Knights, Michael; Boghardt, Lori Plotkin. "Border Fight Could Shift Saudi Arabia's Yemen War Calculus". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Archived from the original on 2019-12-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "خطير للغاية .. سلاح ايراني مرعب يصل يد الحوثيين ويشكل أكبر خطر على السعودية (صور+تفاصيل)". یمن سعید. Archived from the original on 2020-05-08.
- ^ a b c d e "The terror of Iranian weapons.. Houthi Forces Threaten Gulf Security". Abaad Studies&Research Center. Archived from the original on 2020-05-08. Retrieved 2018-02-13.