TGA0785 – Houthi UAV Armed with Standardized, Dedicated Mortar Round Downed in Yemen

In early 2024, the Yemeni National Army reported the downing of an armed rotary-wing UAV, identified as the Rujoum model, used by Houthi forces in Al-Jawf Governorate, in northwestern Yemen. The UAV was documented alongside an unexploded round that presumably had been attached to the payload dispenser. The round was ostensibly improvised but highly resembled a conventional mortar round. The fuze was marked with a sticker, indicating its specific purpose as dedicated ammunition for use with armed UAVs. The recovery of the bomblet, engineered to resemble a conventional mortar round and equipped with a UAV-specific point-detonating fuze, points to the Houthis’ innovation in munitions adaptation for drone warfare, and suggests their calculated understanding of the operational and strategic implications of ordnance used as ammunition for armed UAVs.