By Chief Superintendent (ret.) Michael Cardash, Senior CIED analyst, Terrogence – Global
SUMMARY
On October 27 and 28, 2024, the Houthis published documentation of a military drill, which, according to the group’s aligned media, consisted of a series of tactical attack waves against simulation targets in different geographic-topographic environments. The drill was divided into five different categorized maneuvers. One of the maneuvers, documenting the Houthi Navy and Coast Guard forces, revealed for the first time an unmanned underwater vehicle, designated Al-Qari’a by the Houthis, referred to as a loitering torpedo. Documentation from the naval maneuver also included a USV WBIED and previously known sea mines deployed in a simulated naval minefield.
The Houthi military exercise, titled “To Make Your Faces Disgraced” (a Quranic verse), included a maneuver of the Houthi Navy and Coastal Defense forces and additional land maneuvers.
The first maneuver, which involved a training exercise for the Houthi Navy and Coast Guard forces, included several “phases” (scenarios):
1. A simulated enemy submarine ostensibly destroyed with sea mines:
Simulated enemy submarine
Sea mine
2. An attack against a simulated support vessel using a USV WBIED
The WBIED attack targeting the simulation ship
3. An attack against a simulated support vessel, with a previously unseen yellow unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) called the Al-Qari’a (referred to by the Houthis as a “torpedo weapon.”)
The targeted ship
The Houthi Al-Qari’a UUV
Al-Qari’a UUV on land
Aiming at the target
The targeted simulation ship is hit
Since October 31, 2023, the Houthis have joined other Iran-backed proxy groups – namely Lebanese Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq – in expressing military support for the Palestinians within the framework of the Toufan al-Aqsa (“Al-Aqsa Flood”) War, which followed the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Taking advantage of the strategic location of Yemen, which is surrounded by major bodies of water, namely, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, through which one of the most important maritime routes – the Bab al-Mandeb Strait – passes, and began to target commercial vessels with missiles, loitering munitions and USV WBIEDs.
The October 2024 Houthi naval maneuvers marked the first time the Al-Qari’a weaponized UUV was introduced and documented. Surah Al-Qari’a (Arabic: ) is the 101st chapter of the Quran, and the surah title in English means “The Calamity.”
On February 17, 2024, the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) announced that during an attack on US Navy vessels operating off the coast of Yemen, a weaponized UUV was successfully destroyed, marking the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since October 2023.
These UUVs represent serious challenges for ships, since they are difficult to detect and eliminate, especially at night, when only the ships’ hydroacoustic can detect it. The Al-Qari’a UUV approaches its target in a semi-submerged state – it is equipped with a camera on a short mast for observation and course adjustment before attacks.
Al-Qari’a with its camera on a short mast raised for observation and course adjustment
The configuration of the Al-Qari’a weaponized UUV is the same as a torpedo and it is presumably produced in cooperation with Iran. There is currently no technical information on the Houthi UUV.
The Al-Qari’a bears resemblance to a version of an Iranian “loitering torpedo” exhibited by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in March 2022, during a ceremony for the inauguration of new vessels.
The IRGC-N exhibited two different colored torpedoes – one green and the other yellow.
Iranian state media agencies and IRGC-aligned channels did not identify these torpedoes by name, nor did they point out the differences between them. However, it is likely they are different-colored versions of the same torpedo, measuring 533 mm (21”) in diameter and approximately 5.5 meters in length.
Green and yellow Iranian “loitering torpedoes”
In June 2023, another model of the green torpedo was shown in a video published by Iran. The nose is similar to that of the torpedoes presented in March 2022, albeit a different color. While no specifications were provided for this model either, a metal mast added to the top of the body distinguishes it from the previously exhibited torpedoes. The mast ostensibly incorporates electro-optical or infrared sensors for observation and surveillance of potential targets. Of note, the rear engine, which was covered by camouflage sheets in the 2022 exhibition, was visible in the video.
The additional model of the green Iranian torpedo, with a metal mast
A comparison of the propulsion system of the Iranian model showing the propeller (including the shield), the adjustable rear guide fins, as well as the mast, reveals a clear similarity with the Al-Qari’a that leads to the conclusion the Al-Qari’a is either the same Iranian model, or an exact copy of it.
Comparison of the mast and propulsion system of the Al-Qari’a and the Iranian torpedo
The Houthi UUV, along with those seen in Iran, appears to be a weaponized UUV. Generally, such UUVs have a greater range than a torpedo but are slower, making them most effective against static targets, such as ships in port or at anchor. The type typically used in Iran, according to observers, can be fitted with a short mast, possibly to observe the target before attacking. It is possible the UUV can be remotely operated by wire, similar to wire-guided torpedoes. This would allow it to engage moving targets.
Hamas has attempted to use similar vehicles against Israel’s offshore energy infrastructure, and a similar design was publicized by Hamas under the name “Al Asef.”
Al Asef
Iran may have previously used these weapons to attack tankers anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Underwater weapons are inherently harder to detect and counter than surface vessels. They are more likely to surprise the target and can impact the target below the waterline, which can be more damaging to maritime vessels. ■
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chief Superintendent (ret.) Michael Cardash, Senior bomb technician and former deputy head of the Israeli police bomb disposal division, commanded bomb disposal units within the border guards and police during intense terrorist conflicts in Israel. Michael currently is the senior CIED analyst at Terrogence-Global, IED’s and authors the Terogence Möbius C-IED reports analyzing and assessing global IED-related technical and tactical intelligence.
Download PDF: 43-53 Michael Cardash article – Houthi Al-Qari’a Weaponized UUV – COUNTER-IED REPORT, Winter 2024-25
Counter-IED Report Winter 2024/25