New Iranian Missiles Pose Threat to U.S. Aircraft in Yemen, Pentagon Says

[Philosopher]

WASHINGTON — Iran has developed a new type of antiaircraft missile and shipped it to Houthi rebels in Yemen, Pentagon officials announced Wednesday. The weapons, which the officials referred to as 358 missiles, were seized by U.S. Navy warships in two separate shipments in the Arabian Sea.

In a news briefing, Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, declined to comment on how the missiles worked. But a military official familiar with the captured weapons described them as cruise missiles designed to avoid U.S. defensive measures that were also capable of downing American military helicopters, as well as the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey.

The 358 missiles consist of three parts: two motors and an explosive warhead. The weapon can be assembled after shipment and fired from a crude launcher on the ground. Once the missile is fired and traveling fast enough, a solid-fuel boost motor falls away and a cruise motor takes over; at that point the weapon flies in a figure-eight pattern and looks for targets.


Three of the so-called 358 missiles were captured on Nov. 25 by the U.S.S. Forrest Sherman, a Navy destroyer, and five more were recovered on Feb. 9 in an operation by the U.S.S. Normandy, a Navy cruiser. Those shipments also included more than 170 anti-tank guided missiles made in Iran, as well as 13,000 blasting caps, which are critical components in making modern roadside bombs.


Captain Urban said the United States believes that Iran has been supplying weapons to the Houthis rebels for the last five years, and that such shipments are prolonging the war in Yemen.

The Houthis have displayed increasing resiliency on the battlefield against Saudi and coalition forces throughout the civil war in Yemen. Experts partly attribute the group’s success at holding territory to the advanced weapons the Iranians have sent them.

In September, Houthi fighters claimed credit for a drone attack on an oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Components of the Iranian cruise missiles blamed for the attack were also recovered by the U.S.S. Forrest Sherman on Nov. 25.

The weapons captured by the U.S. Navy were found on small motorboats called dhows. According to Captain Urban, the mariners aboard the two dhows were questioned and then turned over to the Yemeni Coast Guard.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/us/iran-missiles-yemen.html

 

[zartosht]

looks like Iran has taken a strategic decision to increase its support to the Houthi Heros defending yemen..

Before the houthi's had extremely limited supply of ATGMs for example. and all their supply were Russian origins that could plausibly be denied by IRan and claim its old Yemeni stock...

Same bullshit excuse was made for newer and extremely lethal Houthi missiles and cruise missiles the houthi's supposedly developed on their own.

now though Iran doesn't even seem to care about plausibil deniability.. Send in dehlaviehs (kornets). which without question would be linked to Iran..

and now were seeing pleasant surprised in the anti-air and now anti-ship department....

this war is going to get a lot more 'interesting' for the Saudis going forward.

cant wait to see this missile in action.

 

[Arminkh]

WASHINGTON — Iran has developed a new type of antiaircraft missile and shipped it to Houthi rebels in Yemen, Pentagon officials announced Wednesday. The weapons, which the officials referred to as 358 missiles, were seized by U.S. Navy warships in two separate shipments in the Arabian Sea.

In a news briefing, Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, declined to comment on how the missiles worked. But a military official familiar with the captured weapons described them as cruise missiles designed to avoid U.S. defensive measures that were also capable of downing American military helicopters, as well as the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey.

The 358 missiles consist of three parts: two motors and an explosive warhead. The weapon can be assembled after shipment and fired from a crude launcher on the ground. Once the missile is fired and traveling fast enough, a solid-fuel boost motor falls away and a cruise motor takes over; at that point the weapon flies in a figure-eight pattern and looks for targets.


Three of the so-called 358 missiles were captured on Nov. 25 by the U.S.S. Forrest Sherman, a Navy destroyer, and five more were recovered on Feb. 9 in an operation by the U.S.S. Normandy, a Navy cruiser. Those shipments also included more than 170 anti-tank guided missiles made in Iran, as well as 13,000 blasting caps, which are critical components in making modern roadside bombs.


Captain Urban said the United States believes that Iran has been supplying weapons to the Houthis rebels for the last five years, and that such shipments are prolonging the war in Yemen.

The Houthis have displayed increasing resiliency on the battlefield against Saudi and coalition forces throughout the civil war in Yemen. Experts partly attribute the group’s success at holding territory to the advanced weapons the Iranians have sent them.

In September, Houthi fighters claimed credit for a drone attack on an oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Components of the Iranian cruise missiles blamed for the attack were also recovered by the U.S.S. Forrest Sherman on Nov. 25.

The weapons captured by the U.S. Navy were found on small motorboats called dhows. According to Captain Urban, the mariners aboard the two dhows were questioned and then turned over to the Yemeni Coast Guard.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/us/iran-missiles-yemen.html

It flies in a figure-eight pattern and looks for targets? Is it autonomous?! !

 

[Stryker1982]

Too bad they got a hold of the technology. Iran must continue this micro-jet SAM's development to stay ahead as an assmyetrical weapon for air defence. Once again, Iran revolutionizes asymmetric warfare. How a small organization of rebels can combat the third largest military spender in the world on, ground, air and sea!. Mashallah Iran.

 

[Blue In Green]

It flies in a figure-eight pattern and looks for targets? Is it autonomous?! !

That's actually impressive not gonna lie. A missile that goes up in the area and has an area it patrols for a small period of time to look for targets I assume.

Wow, that's all I can say. Didn't know Iran had such tech!

 

[IceCold]

That's actually impressive not gonna lie. A missile that goes up in the area and has an area it patrols for a small period of time to look for targets I assume.

Wow, that's all I can say. Didn't know Iran had such tech!

So all Houtis have to do now is to just fire the missile with a label "To whom it may concern" and the missile will do the rest?
And since Houtis dont have an airforce of their own, hence no need to worry about friendly fire.

 

[Stryker1982]

So all Houtis have to do now is to just fire the missile with a label "To whom it may concern" and the missile will do the rest?
And since Houtis dont have an airforce of their own, hence no need to worry about friendly fire.

Airspace is also closed so no risk in shooting down anything other than hostile aircraft

 

[Blue In Green]

So all Houtis have to do now is to just fire the missile with a label "To whom it may concern" and the missile will do the rest?
And since Houtis dont have an airforce of their own, hence no need to worry about friendly fire.

Truthfully speaking Ice Cold, I have no idea what the missile can't and can actually do. I'm just riffing on the information that was posted about it.

You do bring up a good point though, "to whom it may concern" is rather comical in a sinister way lol

 

[Smarana Mitra]

So all Houtis have to do now is to just fire the missile with a label "To whom it may concern" and the missile will do the rest?
And since Houtis dont have an airforce of their own, hence no need to worry about friendly fire.

Even then, there are several other things to consider. These are not SAMs but mainly surface missiles which can take down helicopter but not planes. So, one can't just fire a missile like that and hope that it hits the right targets.

 

[Stryker1982]

Even then, there are several other things to consider. These are not SAMs but mainly surface missiles which can take down helicopter but not planes. So, one can't just fire a missile like that and hope that it hits the right targets.

Except that It did to the Saudi Tornado.

 

[TheImmortal]

Possible Different ways it can “find” the source

Advanced Heat seeker (looks for heat trails while flying)

Radiation seeker (seeks out sources of radiation ie fighter jets electronic radiation and radar radiation hard to jam)

Micro pulse wave radar seeker (sends out radar waves to detect objects flying around it)

 

[War Thunder]

So all Houtis have to do now is to just fire the missile with a label "To whom it may concern" and the missile will do the rest?
And since Houtis dont have an airforce of their own, hence no need to worry about friendly fire.

Ta da da ...

 

[Sineva]

It flies in a figure-eight pattern and looks for targets? Is it autonomous?! !

More likely a man in the loop,most of these NLOS type weapons have this capability either using a fiber optic cable or wireless link,but if it was to attack a fixed target then you could just use it in the fire and forget mode or have the ability if needed for an operator to select the final targets to attack ie if its something like an airbase and their are other targets of greater importance than the pre selected ones.
The big advantage with this weapon is its sheer flexibility and the different types of targets that it can hit.I for one hope to see a more refined version of this weapon in iranian service as it would make an excellent multi-service weapon.

 

[R Wing]

It flies in a figure-eight pattern and looks for targets? Is it autonomous?! !

Really sucks that the Yanks got hold of the shipment.

 

[Indos]

looks like Iran has taken a strategic decision to increase its support to the Houthi Heros defending yemen..

Before the houthi's had extremely limited supply of ATGMs for example. and all their supply were Russian origins that could plausibly be denied by IRan and claim its old Yemeni stock...

Same bullshit excuse was made for newer and extremely lethal Houthi missiles and cruise missiles the houthi's supposedly developed on their own.

now though Iran doesn't even seem to care about plausibil deniability.. Send in dehlaviehs (kornets). which without question would be linked to Iran..

and now were seeing pleasant surprised in the anti-air and now anti-ship department....

this war is going to get a lot more 'interesting' for the Saudis going forward.

cant wait to see this missile in action.

Look like you dont feel anything with the suffering of Yemeni people in general. If Iran doesnt provide military help to Houti, there is no way Houti can launch an attack to the government that start the war.

Yaman should solve their dispute trough democratic means, not military one.