Mystery missile in Yemen: Did Saudi Arabia use China-made DF-15A?

The Houthis have also stepped up missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets, while Riyadh has increased strikes against Houthi positions.The DF-15A is a Chinese road-mobile, solid-fuelled short-range ballistic missile. According to the CSIS Missile Threat project, the DF-15 family has a launch weight of about 6,200 kg and can carry a 500-750 kg payload. Its range is estimated at 600-900 km, although the exact range varies by variant and payload.It uses an inertial guidance system and can carry a high-explosive warhead. Different DF-15 variants can also carry warheads designed to hit runways and hardened targets.Saudi Arabia has not officially acknowledged operating the DF-15A or any other short-range Chinese ballistic missile. However, previous reports have linked Riyadh to Chinese ballistic-missile systems, including the DF-3A, which Saudi Arabia publicly displayed in 2014, and the DF-21, whose reported sale to the kingdom has never been officially confirmed.The reported DF-15A debris therefore could provide a new indication of a previously undisclosed Saudi missile capability, if the identification and attribution are eventually confirmed.

Source: Times of India September 15, 2026 03:58 UTC