Source: The Iranian Khordad Air Defense System Was Used to Down the American Drone Off Yemen Coast

An intelligence source revealed to Sheba Intelligence the identity of the weapon that shot down the American MQ-9 Reaper drone off the coast of Yemen on Wednesday.

The source said the Houthi group obtained the Iranian Khordad-3 Air Defense System six months ago, and it was smuggled to a Red Sea coast, where the Houthi authorities have a presence.

The location of the Khordad-3 System remains unknown. However, according to informed sources, foreign military experts supervising the Khordad-3 System moved recently between Al-Saleef, Al-Luhayah, and Kamaran Island in Al-Hudaydah.

A military expert told the Sheba Intelligence, “The Khordad-3 System is an advanced version of the Iranian Raad aerial defense system. This system shot down the American RQ-4 Global Hawk in 2019 over the Strait of Hormuz.”

According to the military expert, the Khordad-3 System is equipped with Tayr-2 and Sayyad-2 missiles, with a range of 25-30 km. They are specialized for hunting drones, and most of their technology is taken from Russian defense systems.

Hours after the Houthi declaration of downing an American drone, FOX News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin wrote on X: “A senior U.S. defense official tells me “We can confirm that a U.S. military MQ-9 remotely-piloted aircraft was shot down while in international airspace over international waters off the coast of Yemen.”

In 2020, the U.S. Air Force reported new Reapers cost about $32 million each, according to Forbes.

Sheba Intelligence published yesterday an in-depth report on the Houthi missile capabilities. Last month, a well-sourced report on the capabilities of the Houthi air force was published.