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On May 19, the Yemeni Missiles Force [loyal to the Houthis] announced that it had targeted a key radar base of the Saudi Army in the southern Saudi province of Asir with a Badir-1 “ballistic missile”. According to the Yemeni al-Masirah TV, the same radar base was targeted with a ballistic missile on April 7.
The Badir-1, which was first revealed on March 22, is in fact a locally-made copy of the Iranian-made solid fuel artillery rocket, Fajir-3. The Yemeni Missiles Force claims that Badir-1 is very accurate and its speed is up to 4,5 Mach.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Colonel Turki al-Malki announced that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force (RSDF) had successfully intercepted the Yemeni rocket with its Patriot surface-to-air missile systems over the northern Yemeni province of Saada, south of Asir province.
Col. al-Malki also revealed that the RSDF detected the launch of a second rocket that eventually fell in an empty desert in southern Saudi Arabia.
During the last two months, the Yemeni Missiles Force launched dozens of Badir-1 rockets and ballistic missiles at several oil facilities and military bases in southern Saudi Arabia. According to observers, these attacks confirm that the Houthis are now producing missile in larger quantities.
