Fatir-1, illustrative image, source: the Houthis media wing
On December 9, the Houthis (Ansar Allah) announced that their air defense had targeted an F-15 fighter jet of the Royal Saudi Air Force over the central Yemeni province of Ma’rib.
“Our air defenses were able, thanks to God, to carry out an operation in which they intercepted and confronted an F15 fighter jet of the [Royal] Saudi Air Force this afternoon while it was carrying out hostile acts over the al-Jubah district in the province of Ma’rib, forcing it to leave the [Yemeni] airspace,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Sari, a spokesman for the Yemeni group, said in a statement.
According to the spokesman’s statement, the Saudi fighter jet was targeted with a missile fired from a “Fatir-1” air-defense system.
من عدسة جوالي
أثناء استهداف طائرة اف 15 في سماء محافظة مأرب pic.twitter.com/sxZipnOFWR— سـد مأرب Dam Maribi (@NewsMaribdam) December 9, 2021
The Fatir-1 is a is a locally-upgraded variant of the Soviet-made SA-6 “Gainful” system which was first unveiled by the Houthis in August of 2019.
The SA-6 system has a range of 25 kilometers and engagement altitude of up to 8 km with its standard armament, the 9M336 missile, guided by semi-active radar homing. However, the Houthis’ Fatir-1 is supposedly “heat-guided” with a range of 22 km only.
The Houthis resumed their advance towards Ma’rib city earlier this week. The group captured a key mountain that overlooks the southern outskirts of the city.
In response to the Saudi-led coalition intense airstrikes on their forces in Ma’rib, the Houthis boosted their air defenses in the province. A day earlier, the group shot down two drones, an US-made Boeing Insitu ScanEagle and a Chinese-made Rainbow CH-4, over the province.
Now the tables have turned. If Ethiopians, Eritreans and Somalis defeat TPLF they may help the Houthis.
Targeted but missed the target?
a near miss. they released video. pampers filled for sure.