Yemeni forces showcase Toophan USV that sunk Israeli-affiliated ship
2 Min Read
Yemeni engineers produce a USV capable of detonating 150 kg worth of explosives into naval targets.
-
A screengrab of the moment the Toophan-1 unmanned surface vehicle (USV) impacted a naval target during a test, in a video released on June 21, 2024 (Yemeni Armed Forces/Military Media)
The Yemeni Armed Forces released footage of the Toophan-1, Flood-1, Unmanned Surface Vehicle during its testing period, revealing the specifications of the suicide drones that blew two holes into the MV Tutor's hull and engine room.
Toophan comes in three iterations which ascendingly hold larger payloads and stronger engines.
The YAF's Navy utilized Toophan-1 USVs in an attack on the MV Tutor in the Red Sea on June 12, after the company that owns the ship violated the YAF's embargo on the Israeli occupation. After being dealt substantial damage by the USVs, which attacked the engine room and the center part of the Tutor's hull, the ship reportedly sank off the coast of Eritrea on June 18.
Read more: Red Sea Rising: Exposing the West's diminishing naval power
Specifications of Yemen's Toophan-1
The Toophan line of USV is a simple design derived from a single-seater speed boat, featuring an aftermarket engine. Sticking to the cheap designs and readily available materials, the Yemeni Armed Forces' engineers produced a lethal weapon capable of sinking large merchant and military vessels.
Its third iteration holds up to 500 kg of explosives and can travel at a maximum speed of 52 nautical miles per hour, or around 100 km/hr.
The shorter-range Toophan-1 holds up to 150 kg of explosives and travels at a maximum speed of 35 nautical miles per hour, or around 65 km/hr. The USV is controlled by and steered by an operator toward its target and could also be pre-programmed to travel to its target and detonate in proximity if needed.
🎞 الزورق الحربي طوفان 1 - مواصفات ومشاهد تعرض للمرة الأولى لتجربة زورق طوفان 1 على هدف بحري#محلي_الصنع#معركة_الفتح_الموعود_والجهاد_المقدس pic.twitter.com/WptgkTABf1
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) June 21, 2024
The USV can attack both static and moving naval objects and infrastructure, as its explosive payload can deal substantial damage to the largest of vessels.
All three iterations of the Yemeni Toophan were paraded in a remarkable military event conducted by the Yemeni Armed Forces in September 2023, which saw the unveiling of multiple weapons and systems.
Below is the footage of two Yemeni Toophan USVs impacting the MV Tutor in the Red Sea.
Read more: Yemen to stand by Gaza until cessation of aggression, Abdul-Salam says
مشاهد استهداف سفينة (TUTOR) بزورقين مسيرين في البحر الأحمر وإغراقها..
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) June 19, 2024
والقادم أعظم..
ولدينا مزيد.. pic.twitter.com/sppLQKzQr8
