Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid Airport on a regular basis highlight the shortcomings of even the most advanced air defenses.
The armed Houthis of Yemen, sometimes referred to as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God), are launching waves of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones deep within Saudi Arabia.
Since the start of their latest military assault against the country in September, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
The bloodiest attack in the kingdom in almost ten years occurred on Saturday at the airport, leaving 309 injured and 12 dead. The United States and the United Kingdom issued fresh travel advisories for nationals, and Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority was compelled to halt operations and reroute all planes.
The Houthis issued a warning on Sunday to stay away from Saudi airports and claimed to have carried out two more attacks on the air hub earlier this week.
Houthi armaments
With sophisticated, multi-layered air defense systems, Saudi Arabia's military is among the greatest in the world.
In an effort to reverse the Iran-backed group's recent victories against the Yemeni government army, which Riyadh supports, Saudi airplanes have bombarded Houthi strongholds throughout Yemen during the past week.
Since the Houthis took over Sanaa from the government in September 2014, their own weaponry has advanced significantly.
Their drones and missiles have been able to reach Israel, and their accuracy has demonstrated that they are capable of hitting specific targets like Saudi airports and oil facilities.
Here is what we know about the weapons used by the Houthis, how their tactics have evolved, and why Saudi air defenses are finding it difficult to keep up.
Since the start of their latest military assault against the country in September, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
The bloodiest attack in the kingdom in almost ten years occurred on Saturday at the airport, leaving 309 injured and 12 dead. The United States and the United Kingdom issued fresh travel advisories for nationals, and Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority was compelled to halt operations and reroute all planes.
The Houthis issued a warning on Sunday to stay away from Saudi airports and claimed to have carried out two more attacks on the air hub earlier this week.
Houthi armaments
With sophisticated, multi-layered air defense systems, Saudi Arabia's military is among the greatest in the world.
In an effort to reverse the Iran-backed group's recent victories against the Yemeni government army, which Riyadh supports, Saudi airplanes have bombarded Houthi strongholds throughout Yemen during the past week.
Since the Houthis took over Sanaa from the government in September 2014, their own weaponry has advanced significantly.
Their drones and missiles have been able to reach Israel, and their accuracy has demonstrated that they are capable of hitting specific targets like Saudi airports and oil facilities.
Here is what we know about the weapons used by the Houthis, how their tactics have evolved, and why Saudi air defenses are finding it difficult to keep up.
How sophisticated is the Houthi arsenal?
Since the 2015 invasion, the Houthis have launched hundreds of drones and missiles toward Saudi Arabia; the precise weapon used to assault Riyadh airport is unknown. Since the genocide in Gaza began in October 2023, the Iran-backed gang has also targeted Israel and supposedly Israeli-affiliated vessels.
In order to trick air defenses, the organization has combined drones and missiles of different speeds. Yemen's ground battle has been determined by the same combination, with the Houthis pounding government positions for weeks before launching a swift onslaught last month to take control of the Red Sea coast.
Medium-range ballistic missiles like the Palestine-2, a two-stage solid fuel missile with hypersonic capabilities and an estimated range of 2,000 kilometers, are among the group's most sophisticated alternatives. Another is the Toufan, which is believed to have a range of 1,350 to 1,950 kilometers and looks to be a rebranded Iranian Ghadr missile.
The Houthis have been able to penetrate Israel's air defense network, which is about 2,000 kilometers away from Yemen, thanks to the range of those missiles, some of which have cluster warheads.
The Houthis also have a variety of short-range missiles, including the Burkan and Badr series. They have also been employed in cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia and are thought to be of Iranian descent.
The Houthis' missile armament is primarily made up of Iranian weapons with some Chinese technological inputs, according to Nawaf Obaid, a senior fellow at the Kings College War Studies Department.
He stated, "The Houthis have shown little evidence of significant indigenous technological innovation." "Their domestic capabilities are mainly limited to manufacturing some lower-end drones and missiles."
Yemen's government troops claimed last month that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been assisting the Houthis in developing loitering cruise missiles, a new capability.
Why can't Saudi Arabia's defenses keep up?
Over the previous week, according to Saudi authorities, their forces have shot down several projectiles, including two ballistic missiles that were headed for the capital on Thursday. However, they were unable to stop the rocket that struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday.
Given the breadth of the kingdom and its border with Yemen, Nawaf Obaid told Al Jazeera that sporadic breaches of Saudi air defenses are to be expected.
"As much as you can have a multi-layered air defense system, one will always come through," he remarked, noting that for every successful strike, dozens of Houthi efforts are foiled.
The primary goal of Saudi Arabia's ballistic missile defense system, according to security policy and defense analyst Wolfgang Pusztai, who spoke with Al Jazeera, is to counter Iranian threats.
But he believes it's likely that the Saudis are shifting some of these defenses to Yemen as the Houthis' strikes intensify.