Debris of Chinese Ballistic Missile Found in Yemen, Possibly Launched by Saudi Arabia

Debris from a ballistic missile has been found in Yemen, which OSINT analysts identified as components from a Chinese DF-15A.

OSINT analyst Babak Taghvaee reported on this.

According to him, the Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force used the DF-15A against the Houthis for the first time. He also claimed that the missile malfunctioned in flight and fell before reaching its target.

The analyst suggested that the missile may have belonged to Saudi Arabia, which, if confirmed, would make this the first known combat use of this type of missile by the kingdom.

The debris was found in the Ragwan area of Marib province in northern Yemen. Photos and videos posted online show a large section of the missile’s body resembling a booster and bearing DF-15A markings. The nature of the debris may indicate either the normal separation of part of the missile’s structure or that the missile broke up or fell before reaching its target.

The first videos from the crash site circulated with a different version of events. In particular, Arab media reported that the debris was from a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward the Ragwan area, which fell near a camp for displaced people.

Saudi officials have not reported the use of the DF-15A, and the kingdom has not publicly confirmed that it has this type of missile in service.

Saudi Arabia is reliably known to operate Chinese-made DF-3A (CSS-2) ballistic missiles, which it acquired from China in 1988. In 2014, Foreign Policy, citing an intelligence source, reported on a secret purchase of more modern DF-21 missiles in 2007. However, neither Riyadh nor Beijing officially confirmed the delivery.

China remains the only confirmed operator of the DF-15 family. The DF-15, also known by the Western designation CSS-6, is a Chinese mobile, single-stage, solid-fuel short-range ballistic missile.

The basic version has a range of about 600 km, while open sources give estimates of up to 900 km for later variants.

Missiles in the family can be equipped with warheads weighing about 500–750 kg and launched from mobile launchers.

More about the ballistic missile arsenals of the Persian Gulf countries in the article “Missile Arsenals of the Persian Gulf Countries: Weapons of Retaliation or an Element of Deterrence?”