Yemen's Houthis Claim 1st Hypersonic Missile Test, Likely Sourced From IRGC
The Houthis on Thursday claimed to have successfully tested a hypersonic missile for the first time while touting that it could eventually be used against Israel, and would easily be able to reach the Jewish state. Missiles are dubbed hypersonic that can travel at a speed of Mach 5 or higher.
The Yemeni rebel group backed by Iran says the missile it tested can travel at eight times the speed of sound. "Missile forces of the movement have successfully tested a missile that can reach speeds of up to Mach 8 [6,200 miles per hour] and is powered by solid fuel," a Houthis spokesman told Sputnik. Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency also initially reported the claim.
"Yemen plans to begin manufacturing it for use in attacks in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden, as well as against targets in Israel," the statement threatened. At those speeds, inbound missiles become much harder for conventional anti-air systems to defend against.
The Associated Press has speculated that the Houthis adding hypersonic missiles to their arsenal is the 'surprise' which was previewed by a spokesman last month:
In Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the Houthi rebels' secretive supreme leader, boasted about the rebels' weapons efforts at the end of February, saying: "We have surprises that the enemies do not expect at all."
A week ago, he similarly warned: "What is coming is greater."
“The enemy ... will see the level of achievements of strategic importance that place our country in its capabilities among the limited and numbered countries in this world,” al-Houthi said, without elaborating.
Already many dozens of vessels have come under attack, including attempted drone and missile attacks against US warships. The Western coalition's sporadic offensive counterattacks have so far done nothing to blunt Houthi resolve.
As for whether the Houthis actually possess a hypersonic missile or not - it true then there's a high likelihood they received it from Iran. Just last year, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - widely believed to be on the ground in Yemen currently - unveiled its hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile called the Fattah II. However, later in the afternoon Thursday the Pentagon rejected the claims:
PENTAGON SAYS REPORTS THAT THE HOUTHIS HAVE HYPERSONIC MISSILES ARE INACCURATE
Meanwhile, the US government is seeking to apprehend the "IRGC's Man In Sanaa"...
Abdul Reza Shahla'i, the IRGC's Man in Sana'a, is wanted for Justice ⚖️
— Rewards for Justice عربي (@Rewards4Justice) December 5, 2019
The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Shahla'i or to the disruption of the IRGC's financial mechanisms in Yemen and in the region. pic.twitter.com/cyiojVfPmL
Clearly the Houthi arsenal is expanding, and Washington has long accused Tehran of being behind it, a charge which stretches back years. Their drone arsenal is also growing more sophisticated.