Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are seeking Chinese-made components to develop an advanced ballistic missile system that could improve their ability to strike targets in Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to a new report by Conflict Armament Research (CAR).
The cargo also included phenolic resin, a material used to make heat shields that protect missiles during flight through the atmosphere. Liu Chang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, did not directly address the report’s findings. The report, released on Wednesday, October 14, said two shipments containing suspected missile components had been intercepted by Yemeni authorities. Researchers said the parts could help the group build a missile similar to Iran’s Kheibar Shekan, a precision-guided ballistic missile with a reported range of around 2,000 kilometres.
The equipment originated in China and was intended for delivery to Hodeidah, a port in Yemen controlled by the Houthis, according to the Associated Press (AP). The shipments contained several parts linked to missile production, including stabilising fin cores, rocket motor closures with nozzle attachments and rocket motor igniters, according to CAR. Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst at CAR, said the findings pointed to a more ambitious weapons programme than previously understood. “The local ambition of the Houthis for manufacturing is beyond what was previously assumed,” Hinz said. “They’re not goods that can be used for a variety of civilian applications,” Hinz said. He said Beijing was meeting its international obligations and maintained that China carefully controls exports of military and dual-use goods.
