Yemeni Forces Unveil Advanced Home-Grown Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

By Staff, Agencies

The Yemeni Armed Forces have introduced a newly developed autonomous underwater vehicle [AUV], enhancing Yemen’s maritime combat capabilities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Named al-Qari’a [Calamity], the domestically engineered AUV was showcased during a naval exercise in the Red Sea on Sunday.

This new suicide AUV is poised to bolster Yemen’s military strength against maritime security threats, supporting the country’s efforts to safeguard its territorial waters and enabling Yemeni naval units to conduct more precise operations.

The unveiling of al-Qari’a sends a powerful political and military message, signaling Yemen’s readiness to respond decisively to any acts of aggression.

In recent months, Yemeni forces seized a US Navy REMUS 600 AUV off Yemen's coast, which has reportedly been under study by Yemeni military experts and engineers. The midsized REMUS 600 AUV can reach speeds up to 5 knots [9.3 km/h] and operate for up to 70 hours at a cruising speed of 3 knots [5.6 km/h].

Yemen has openly declared support for Palestine’s struggle against “Israeli” occupation, following the “Israeli” entity’s extensive war on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, after Palestinian resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have affirmed that their own counter-offensives will continue until “Israeli” ground and aerial operations in Gaza are halted.

To date, “Israeli” attacks have caused the martyrdom of at least 43,020 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and injured 101,110 others in Gaza.