Sanaa flies fighter jet in a first since 2015 during military parade

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
21 Sep 2023 17:28
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The massive military parade in Yemen's Sanaa showcased new strategic weapons, including missiles and drones.

A Yemeni fighter jet belonging to Sanaa manoeuvres over the capital to showcase the military's growing abilities on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. (Al-Masirah TV)

A Yemeni fighter jet paraded over the capital Sanaa on Tuesday for the first time in eight years.

The state-owned aircraft, which according to local media is likely a MiG, flew alongside a number of military helicopters in an occurrence not seen by the people of Sanaa since 2015.

According to Al-Masirah TV, the event reflects a "resounding failure for the aggression coalition in Yemen, as it had falsely claimed to have completely destroyed and eliminated the entire [Yemeni] military arsenal, including fighter jets."

The fighter jet was showcased during celebrations commemorating the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed PBUH, and on Thursday, during a military parade held by Yemen to commemorate the September 21 revolution.

New strategic weapons

Thursday's event to commemorate the revolution saw the inclusion of various units of the Armed Forces, including ground, naval, and air forces, in the parade that witnessed "the unveiling of a [locally manufactured] strategic weapons arsenal, including new hardware that has recently entered active service in the Yemeni army," Al Mayadeen's correspondent said.

#بالفيديو
تحليق طائرات القوات الجوية اليمنية فوق ساحة الاستعراض خلال الكشف عن عدد من المنظومات الصاروخية الجديدة#اليمن #ثورة_21_سبتمبر #الخنادق pic.twitter.com/dfKvLatxc7
— موقع الخنادق (@Alkhanadeq2023) September 21, 2023

In the opening ceremony, the President of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen, Mahdi al-Mashat, laid a wreath of flowers at the tomb of his martyred predecessor President Saleh al-Sammad, and his companions. Al-Mashat also laid a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Sanaa's Seventy Square.

During the parade, the armed forces revealed various types of naval vessels, including "Nadir," "Asef 1, 2, and 3," "Malah," "Toufan 1, 2, and 3," and also showcased domestically produced naval mines such as "Thaqib," "Karrar," "Mujahid 1, 2, and 3," "Masjur," "Asef," and "Awais."

Advanced naval missiles were displayed as well, including the Russian "Rapid" missile, "Falaq" and "Mandab 1" ballistic missiles, "Sayyad," as well as "Miyun" (land-sea) and "Saeer" missiles designed for the Red Sea, in addition to "Mahiat" and "Qahir."

However, probably the most remarkable appearance was that of the "Sijjeel" missile, a winged cruise missile with a range of 180 km, powered by both liquid and solid fuel, carrying a warhead weighing 100 kg and capable of accurately striking any target in the Red Sea.

Moreover, the armed forces also displayed various surveillance and tracking systems belonging to the air force and air defense, including the "Shafaq," "P-35," "P-19" radar systems, and the "Horizon" system, known for its precision in target identification and tracking at distances of up to 90 km and altitudes exceeding 35,000 feet (10668 meters).

Additionally, they showcased air defense missiles, including the "Buraq 1," "Buraq 2," "Mi'raj," and "Saqr."

As for the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the military revealed the "Wa'eed 1" and "Wa'eed 2" attack drones with a range of up to 2000 km, as well as the "Shehab" and "Samad 3" UAVs with a range of 1800 km.

On the eighth anniversary of the September 21st revolution in 2022, the Yemeni Armed Forces also showcased new strategic weapons in a military display, including advanced missile systems, naval weapons, and air defense systems manufactured by the Yemeni Military Industries Authority.

Advanced weapons were showcased during last year's parade, including locally made armored vehicle “Ba's 2”, missiles, armored vehicles, rifles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and air defense missile systems.